Two booked on sedition charges for ‘horse-trading’ ahead of Rajya Sabha polls: Official

Two persons have been booked on charges of sedition and hatching criminal conspiracy for their alleged involvement in horse-trading of Congress MLAs ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections last month, a top official said on Friday.

The case was lodged following surveillance of their mobile phones and the identity of political leaders who were in their touch is being ascertained, said Additional Director General Ashok Rathore of Rajasthan Anti-Terrorist Squad and Special Operation Group.

"Mobile phone of anti-social elements were put on surveillance. Based on the interception of two phones, some facts have come to fore that they and some others might be involved in the horse-trading of MLAs,” Rathore told reporters.

“So an FIR has been registered against the two persons owning the mobile phones and a few others," he added.

He said a case has been registered under IPC sections 124-A and 120-B.

Rathore said a probe is on ascertain the identity of political leaders, who were in contact with these persons.

He said a manhunt has been launched to nab the duo, while a probe is on also on another complaint lodged by Congress Chief Whip Mahesh Joshi.

Joshi had filed a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Bureau for a probe into the possible horse-trading bids while the ruling Congress dispensation had also lodged a complaint with the SOG for an investigation into the organised crime of money transfer for horse-trading of legislators to influence the outcome of Rajya Sabha elections and to topple the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government