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CBI summons Harish Rawat on Monday

The CBI forensic report confirms the sting video to be authentic

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Even as the apex court has sought a response form the Centre to allow a floor test in Uttarakhand assembly, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has summoned former chief minister Harish Rawat on Monday in connection with the sting video.

In a preliminary inquiry on April 25, Umesh Kumar, the CEO of Samachar Plus, who conducted a sting video that showed Rawat allegedly attempting to bribe rebel Congress MLAs in exchange for support in the floor test, confirmed the genuineness of the video.

The summons comes after the CBI started probing the allegations in the sting video and its authenticity. The CD of the video was sent to a forensics laboratory in Chandigarh to for examination. A CBI source revealed that a forensic report "confirmed" the video to be genuine.

At first, Rawat had denied the allegation and stated the video to be fake when it was first released. Recently, the former chief minister backtracked his statement and admitted his presence in the video. However, Rawat, further added that he is being framed.

During its investigation, a CBI source stated an MLA alleged that when the Finance Bill was being discussed in the assembly, Rawat called him to his office and offered a bribe of Rs.2.5 crore in exchange for his support. The MLA further alleged that he was also approached by a state minister in Rawat's cabinet and offered a bribe of Rs.10 crore if he supported Rawat's government.

"Be it imposition of President's rule which was done just a day before the state government was to go for a floor test or the summons which comes a day after the Supreme Court asked the Centre to seriously consider the option of a floor test in the assembly, the hurry with which all this has been done shows there is an attempt to influence the floor test if that takes place," Rawat said addressing media persons at a press conference in Dehradun.

The Centre dissolved the Uttarakhand government and imposed the President's rule a day before Rawat was supposed to take a floor test to prove his majority. The sting video in question was also one of the basis on which Rawat's government was dissolved.

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