Ashok Gehlot.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Jaipur: Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot has alleged that Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat got relief in the Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society scam case in the high court due to a "U-turn" by the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police.
The Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday gave a relief to Shekhawat in the case and disposed of the petition seeking quashing of the FIR lodged against him.
Gehlot has now demanded that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) be formed under the chairmanship of a retired high court judge to investigate the matter.
"The high court's decision in a case filed by Union minister Shri Gajendra Shekhawat regarding the Sanjivani case has come on the basis of facts placed before the court by the SOG. After a change of power in the state, the SOG took a U-turn in the high court," Gehlot said on 'X' on Thursday.
Gehlot, who was the chief minister when the SOG had named Shekhawat as an accused in the case, said even the investigating officer (IO) of the case was removed and government lawyers nominated by the BJP government favoured the Union minister.
He said, "Despite all this, the high court has not quashed the FIR as per the minister's petition. The high court has said that further action can be taken by taking permission from the trial court," Gehlot said.
The Congress leader said that in a letter written to a government advocate on April 12, 2023, the SOG sent a factual report on the case.
"On page number seven, the report said that Union minister Gajendra Shekhawat and his family members were involved in crime and considered them as an accused in the case. It was written in the report that Shekhawat has a direct connection with the companies which are involved in the Sanjivani scam." The former CM said that "hundreds of victims" of the "scam" approached him and then he sought information about the case from the SOG.
Gehlot said, "I had no personal animosity towards Gajendra Shekhawat. It was on the basis of this briefing of SOG that I presented the information about the allegations against Shekhawat and his family to the media.
"Shekhawat also mentioned the allegations against his late mother in his statements yesterday. I have full respect for his late mother, but as the home minister of the state, it was my duty to place the facts brought to me before the victims and the people," he said.
Gehlot said that now that the government in the state has changed, the BJP putting pressure on the SOG, due to which it took a "U-turn" in the court and now does not consider him an accused.
The Congress leader said, "I demand a fair investigation by an SIT formed under the chairmanship of a retired high court judge to find out whether the SOG's probe was wrong during the Congress rule or has the SOG prepared a wrong report now under pressure. During the Congress government, the SOG had even conducted a forensic audit in the case." Gehlot added that he wanted to ensure justice to the victims so that they get their hard-earned money back.