india

Updated: Sep 05, 2019 01:10 IST

The Central Bureau of Investigation has told Uttarakhand high court that it would file a first information report related to a 2016 sting in which former chief minister Harish Rawat was purportedly shown striking a deal with a journalist to bring nine rebel legislators back to Congress.

Sandeep Tandon, counsel representing CBI, said during a hearing on Tuesday, he informed the HC that as a probe in the matter had been completed, it was duty of the CBI to inform the court before registering an FIR in the matter. HT has a copy of the order issued by the HC on Tuesday.

The order stated, “Counsel(s) appearing for CBI argued that as per the directions of the coordinate bench (of HC) issued on June 20, 2016, the preliminary probe has been conducted by CBI, and it was the duty of the CBI to inform the court before registering the FIR. Today it was simply informed by both the counsel(s) appearing for the CBI that since the preliminary probe has been conducted in the matter, CBI is going file the FIR in the matter”.

Tandon said the high court will hear the case on September 20. He said during a hearing of the case on August 21, he had moved an application in HC informing it that CBI had completed its preliminary report in the sting case, following which the HC directed that the report be submitted to it on September 20.

VBS Negi, counsel representing Rawat, said: “On September 20, the court will also discuss the point raised by it in its order issued on Tuesday. CBI on Wednesday sought modification in the last paragraph of the order and ‘did or’ was added in the paragraph. All these issues will be discussed in the next hearing.”