Uttarakhand sting: CBI quizzes CM Harish Rawat

New Delhi, May 24

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation at its headquarters in Delhi on Tuesday over allegations of having tried to bribe some rebel MLAs into voting for his government in a floor test in March.

“As a law-abiding citizen, I will appear before the CBI so that people don’t get the impression that I'm trying to avoid the agency,” Harish Rawat said earlier in the day as he was accompanied by some supporters and an MLA.

Rawat has accused the central government of having misused the agency for “harassing” him.

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The CBI had previously summoned him on May 5 for the same case. It had rejected Uttarakhand Government's notification for withdrawing the case last week saying there was no ground for its withdrawal and it was "not legally tenable".

The Uttarakhand High Court also refused to stay the investigations.

President’s Rule was imposed in the state on March 26 — a day before Governor KK Paul’s deadline to Rawat to prove his majority in the House — after rebel lawmakers released a video that showed Rawat trying to “bribe the rebels into voting” for his government in the floor test.

 Rawat returned as Chief Minister after he won a floor test ordered by the Supreme Court on May 10.  — Agencies