Centre misusing CBI to target rivals: Harish Rawat

Former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat against whom the CBI is preparing to file an FIR in the 2016 sting video case on Friday accused the Centre of misusing the agency against its political rivals.

"The present government at the Centre is conspiring to send Congress leaders to jail under different charges out of sheer vendetta. It is misusing the CBI to settle scores with political rivals," Rawat told reporters here.

On the ongoing CBI probe into the 2016 sting video purportedly showing him negotiating a monetary deal to buy back the support of his rebel MLAs, Rawat said he was not afraid of any investigation.

"I don't fear any investigation. I am ready to face the CBI," he said.

The apex investigation agency recently told the Uttarakhand High Court that it will file an FIR against Rawat in the sting video case of 2016.

The CBI gave the information in the court of Justice R C Khulbe while giving details of progress in the case sought by the court on September 3.

A video had surfaced in 2016 when the state was under President's rule purportedly showing Rawat negotiating a monetary deal to buy the support of disgruntled MLAs who had crossed over to BJP.

However, after the reinstatement of Harish Rawat government when he won a Supreme Court monitored floor test in the state assembly, his cabinet proposed that the CBI probe be withdrawn and a state-level SIT be formed to look into the matter.

But the central government rejected the idea and the CBI inquiry went on.

Rawat challenged the inquiry in the high court.

One of the rebel MLAs Harak Singh Rawat also filed a separate petition in the matter in the high court claiming that an inquiry set up on the recommendation of the governor cannot be set aside by the state cabinet.

Both petitions are being heard by the high court which has set the matter for next hearing on September 20.