Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot's OSD questioned by CBI in SHO Vishnudutt Vishnoi suicide case

A day after questioning Olympian-turned-Congress MLA Krishna Poonia, the CBI on Tuesday quizzed Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Deva Ram Saini in connection with the suicide by state police personnel Vishnudutt Vishnoi, who had alleged harassment.

Poonia was also questioned for the second day on Tuesday for about two-and-half hours while Saini was quizzed for around two hours.

The state government had earlier transferred the case to the CBI. Vishnoi, who was the Station House Officer of Rajgarh police station in Churu, died by suicide on May 23 after claiming that he was not able to bear the pressure put on him.

The questioning of Poonia, who represents Sadalpur in Rajasthan, and Saini by a special crime unit of the CBI comes against the backdrop of Gehlot-led government facing a political turmoil, with former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot rising in rebellion against him.

It also comes days after Rajasthan Police has also registered a case against senior BJP leader and Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat accusing him of attempting to topple the government by offering money to Congress MLAs and summoned him for questioning.

CBI officials said the team in Jaipur is recording statements and they were conducting the investigations in a professional manner. They also said the questioning does not meant that they were considering them as suspects as of now.

The investigations come as Vishnoi's brother had approached state police to probe the case, as the deceased SHO was claimed to be under pressure, which prompted him to take his life.

Two suicide notes were recovered from him addressed to his parents and the Superintendent of Police of Churu. In his suicide note to the SP, Vishnoi claimed that he was under pressure and that he tried to do his best in professional matters.

A screenshot of a WhatsApp chat Vishnoi had with an activist friend also surfaced on social media in which he claimed that he was trapped in “dirty politics”.

BJP and BSP leaders in the state had alleged that Vishnoi was under pressure from Poonia, a discus thrower who won the gold medal in 2010 Commonwealth Games and finished sixth at the 2012 London Olympics who joined politics. She denied the charges.