New Delhi: In June, Uttarakhand-based journalist Umesh Kumar Sharma alleged in a video that current chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat had in got money transferred into accounts of relatives to back the appointment of a person in Jharkhand to head the Gau Seva Ayog, while he was as BJP’s Jharkhand in-charge.Instead of probing into allegations made by the journalist, the state police had lodged an FIR against Sharma on the complaint of Harendra Singh Rawat, a former professor whom Sharma had named in the video.On Tuesday, the Uttarakhand high court, while hearing a petition filed by Sharma that urged the quashing of the FIR against him, directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate the allegations made by the journalist.News outlets targetedSharma had alleged in a video uploaded on Facebook that the money was transferred into the accounts of Harendra Rawat and his wife, Savita, who, he claimed, is an associate professor and is the sister of the CM’s wife. He had added that one Amratesh Singh Chauhan had transferred the money as a kickback for appointing a certain person in Jharkhand as the head of the Gau Seva Ayog. Overall, the deal was struck for Rs 25 lakh, Sharma had alleged in the video.Subsequently, Harendra Rawat had lodged a complaint with the police saying the allegations were false and that his family was not related to Trivendra Singh Rawat. He insisted that the Sharma had shown fabricated documents in the video, claiming to be his bank accounts.Also read: From Y-Category Security Detail to Jail, Career of Editor Shows Peril of Sting OpsThe Uttarakhand police registered an FIR in the case in July this year following an enquiry. It also named two other news organisations, Parvatjan of Shiv Prasad Semwal and CrimeStory of Rajesh Sharma.Thereafter, Umesh Sharma and Semwal filed petitions in the Uttarakhand high court for the quashing of the FIR against them.Probe orderIn his 83-page order, Justice Ravindra Maithani directed the quashing of the FIR and ordered the CBI to probe the allegations to reveal the truth. The court ordered the superintendent of police of CBI in Dehradun to register an FIR on the basis of allegations made by petitioners and to investigate the case. Judge Maithani wrote in his order that “… this court can, within the scope of jurisdiction under Article 226, order for investigation into allegations levelled by the petitioner in para 8 of the petition. This court is of the view that considering the nature of allegations levelled against Trivendra Singh Rawat, Chief Minister of the State, it would be appropriate to unfold the truth.”Para 8 of the petition pertains to the allegations of the deal between Chauhan and Trivendra Rawat, and also includes the details of the bank accounts of the CM’s relatives in which money was allegedly transferred.Stating that “it would be in the interest of the State that the doubts are cleared”, the order said, “While allowing the petition, this court proposes for investigation also.”FIR against journalist ‘mala fide’Quashing the FIR, the court said the actions leading to the registration of the FIR were mala fide in nature. It also observed that “the allegations as levelled in the instant FIR do not make out any prima facie case against the petitioners”.The court directed CBI SP in Dehradun to register an FIR on the basis of allegations levelled in para 8 of the petition and investigate.Also read: The Fate of Press Freedom in India Over the YearsFollowing the court decisions, Umesh Sharma was quoted by the local media as saying that he stood by the allegations he had made. “Amratesh was not appointed Gau Seva Ayog chairman and he shared details of the deals with me…,” he said.BJP to move Supreme CourtReacting to the development, Darshan Singh Rawat, media coordinator for the CM, said the state government will challenge the order of the high court and will be moving a special leave petition in the Supreme Court. However, he insisted that they “also want this to be investigated so that people come to know about the truth”.The state BJP president, Bansidhar Bhagat, also challenged others to prove the corruption allegations, saying that “no one can prove a charge of corruption against the chief minister”.Congress seeks Rawat’s resignationMeanwhile, the opposition Congress on Wednesday demanded Rawat’s resignation over corruption charges. At a press conference, state Congress president Pritam Singh said: “A chief minister, who does not get tired of flaunting the state government’s policy of zero tolerance to corruption, has no right to continue in office for a minute after an order like this.”He said the party had also sought an appointment with governor Baby Rani Maurya to seek her intervention in the matter.Former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat while describing the high court order as “serious” said, “The chief minister should quit immediately to pave the way for an impartial probe into the charges against him.”On the other hand, the state BJP president, Bansidhar Bhagat told the media in Hardwar that though the party honours the high court ruling, but it would still challenge it in the Supreme Court.