An FIR has been lodged against senior IPS officer Rashmi Shukla in Pune on Saturday in connection with an alleged illegal phone tapping of State Congress president Nana Patole during the previous government.
Ms. Shukla is currently the Additional Director General of CRPF (South Zone) at Hyderabad.
Last year, Mr. Patole had alleged that his phone was tapped during 2016-2017 on the pretext that it belonged to someone accused in a case of narcotics smuggling. He had said, “I was a Member of Parliament in 2016-17 and there was no reason to tap my phone. This is an attempt to destroy political careers."
Soon Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil announced that a three-member committee headed by Director General of Police Sanjay Pandey was formed to conduct an inquiry with members of the State Intelligence Department.
The committee then submitted its report to the State government based on which an FIR (First Information Report) was registered against Ms. Shukla at Bund Garden police station under several sections of the Indian Telegraph Act.
Leaking data
Ms. Shukla is also alleged to leak confidential data and information about transfers of high ranking officers. On August 25, 2020, Ms. Shukla had addressed a communication to the Director General of Police, S.K. Jaiswal stating numerous complaints alleging a network of brokers and political connections who are engaging in desirous posting of police officers in the State in exchange for large sums of money. The next day, Mr. Jaiswal wrote to Sitaram Kunte, Additional Secretary (Home) informing him about receiving the report. However, Ms. Shukla was transferred to the post of Director General of Civil Defense at Telangana on September 2, 2020.
On March 23, 2021, Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis, in an interview to a television news channel, produced a copy of the secret letter by Ms. Shukla, the then Commissioner of State Intelligence Department to the Director General of Police. It is alleged that the letter showed a pen drive containing sensitive and confidential material concerning the police force in Maharashtra obtained by the State Intelligence Department.
On March 26, the Assistant Commissioner of Police filed an FIR at the Cyber Crime Police Station against unknown persons on the allegations that confidential material was illegally obtained. Offences under the Indian Telegraph Act, Information Technology Act and Official Secrets Act were added to the FIR.
