New Delhi, Feb 12 (IANS): The Delhi Police have issued a summon to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's officer on special duty (OSD) Lokesh Sharma in connection with a July 2020 phone tapping case.

A police source said that Sharma has been asked to appear before the Delhi Police on Monday to get his statement recorded. This is the sixth notice sent to Sharma under section 41.(1) of Cr.P.C.

Statement of Sharma was recorded on two occasions December 6, 2021 and May 14, 2022.

Earlier, on July 3, 2021, the Delhi High Court had granted some relief to Sharma by asking Delhi Police Crime Branch not to take coercive action against him. Sharma had moved to the Delhi High Court seeking quashing of the FIR.

The Crime Branch also moved a plea before the Delhi High Court seeking vacating of the interim order. The Delhi Police have alleged that Sharma was deliberately delaying the investigation.

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister and BJP MP from Jodhpur had lodged a complaint against Sharma and others, accusing them of phone tapping.

Acting on his complaint, the Delhi Police lodged an FIR on March 25, 2021. Alleged Audio clips of Shekhawat in which he was talking to rebel Congress leaders to topple the Rajasthan government had gone viral.