Jaipur, Oct 20 (IANS): The Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has been issued a notice by the Delhi Police Crime Branch asking him to appear in Delhi in the infamous phone tapping case.

Lokesh Sharma, OSD to Gehlot, has been summoned by the crime branch in Delhi on October 22. Sharma was sent a notice to come to Delhi earlier too but he did not go. He has now been called for questioning at 11 a.m. by sending a notice through e-mail. However, Sharma is taking legal opinion regarding this matter. Earlier, Sharma was called for questioning on July 24 but he did not appear at that time.

Sharma has challenged the FIR registered against him in the phone tapping case in the High Court. Giving relief to the OSD in this case, the High Court stayed his arrest.

Mahesh Joshi, the chief whip of the Gehlot government, was also called for questioning in June before Sharma, but he also did not go.

The case of phone tapping was registered by Jodhpur MP and Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on March 25 this year. While filing the case, Shekhawat had said that an attempt has been made to malign his image via phone tapping.

Sharma has challenged this FIR in the Delhi High Court. So far, this matter has been heard in the High Court 3 times. More recently, Lokesh Sharma has got relief from the High Court on his arrest till January 13. According to sources, the Delhi Crime Branch cannot arrest Sharma till January 13.