Jaipur, Oct 21 (IANS): After being summoned by Delhi Police in a phone tapping case, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Lokesh Sharma will appear before the Crime Branch for questioning on Friday.

He will appear before the Delhi Police's Crime Branch for the first time after a case was registered against him seven months ago.

Speaking to IANS, Sharma said that he was leaving for Delhi on Thursday.

"I am ready to cooperate with the police if they want to inquire about anything," he said.

Sharma was issued a notice through an email, asking him to appear in the infamous phone tapping case on October 22 at 11 a.m. in the national capital.

Earlier, Sharma was called for questioning on July 24, but he did not appear at that time.

Sharma had challenged the FIR registered against him in the High Court. Giving relief to the OSD in the case, the High Court stayed his arrest till January 13.

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

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 had been made to malign his image via phone tapping. Sharma had challenged this FIR in the Delhi High Court. So far, this matter has been heard thrice in the High Court.