New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday summoned former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and senior Congress leader in connection with a case of bribery and horse trading.

The former Chief Minister has been questioned by the CBI once

Harish Rawat was booked by the central probe agency in 2019 for allegedly being involved in horse-trading. Former Cabinet Minister Harak Singh Rawat and CEO of Samachar Plus News Channel Umesh Kumar are also accused in the case.

CBI sleuths met Harish Rawat at the Jolly Grant Hospital in Dehradun where the former CM is undergoing medical treatment following a minor car accident earlier this week. Officials handed over the summons to Harish Rawat in the hospital.

The Congress leader shared the images of his meeting with CBI officials on Facebook and wrote: “Today, at Jolly Grant Hospital, a significant organisation also arrived to inquire about my health. Friends from CBI came and served me a notice, which was quite surprising. I remarked that on the day when people come to the hospital to inquire about one’s well-being, the CBI must have thought that something more critical was endangering the integrity, unity, security, and democracy of the country. That’s why they served me a notice right at the hospital. Bravo, CBI!!”

The case was lodged after the Uttarakhand High Court had on September 30, 2019 allowed the CBI to file an FIR against the Congress leader after the probe agency submitted a report in a sealed cover on the preliminary inquiry.

In an alleged purported video, Rawat, then chief minister of Uttarakhand, was seen negotiating a deal to buy the support of rebel MLAs who had switched to the BJP so that he could get back to power.

In 2016, Harish Rawat faced allegations of involvement in horse trading following a sting operation conducted by a news channel. The operation captured Rawat on camera engaging in discussions about the potential poaching of MLAs, raising questions about his political conduct.

After Harish Rawat’s government collapsed in Uttarakhand in 2017, the state government and the high court ordered a CBI probe into the matter.

The former Chief Minister has been questioned by the CBI once. Harish Rawat, a five-time member of the Parliament, served as the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand from 2014 to 2017.