Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat is being questioned by the CBI on a sting
Highlights
- He's reportedly seen giving bribes in exchange for support in trust vote
- Court rejected Mr Rawat's request to cancel the CBI probe into the sting
- Nine Congress MLAs who voted against his budget have since joined BJP
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat went to the CBI headquarters in Delhi today for his questioning in connection with a sting that purportedly shows him offering bribes for support in a trust vote.
"This is a conspiracy. A solution will definitely emerge. The impression should not go that I am ignoring the CBI," Mr Rawat told reporters.
A television channel aired the sting in March, when nine rebel Congress lawmakers voted against the state government's budget, triggering a crisis. The rebels, who have since joined the BJP, cited the video as proof of corruption.
The sting CD made by the editor-in-chief of a private news channel and circulated by the rebels purportedly shows Mr Rawat negotiating a money deal with a journalist to buy the support of legislators who had revolted against him.
Mr Rawat was sacked by the Centre and the state was placed under President's Rule on March 27.
Earlier this month, he returned as Chief Minister after winning a trust vote ordered by the Supreme Court.
After a court rejected his request to cancel the CBI probe into the sting, Mr Rawat was summoned for questioning first on May 5 and later on May 9. The date was revised again after he asked for time.