As part of its efforts to hunt down IPS officer Rashmi Shukla, who exposed the transfer racket in 2020, the Maharashtra government led by Uddhav Thackeray, has booked the former Pune commissioner for her alleged role in the illegal phone tapping of state Congress president Nana Patole. As per Maharashtra government orders, the FIR against Rashmi Shukla was filed at Bund Garden police station in Pune. The case has been registered under Section 26 of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, the officials said.
Phone tapping case | Pune City Police has registered FIR against former Pune CP Rashmi Shukla under section 26 of the Indian Telegraph Act.
— ANI (@ANI) February 26, 2022
Shukla, a former Pune police commissioner, is currently on central deputation as assistant director-general of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Hyderabad.
The FIR was filed based on a complaint filed by Patole last year wherein he had alleged that his phone was tapped during 2016-2017 on the pretext that it belonged to one Amjad Khan involved in “narcotics smuggling”. Patole had also alleged that the phones of Union minister Roasaheb Danve’s personal assistant, then BJP MP Sanjay Kakade and other elected representatives were tapped. “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,” he had said.
Devendra Fadnavis makes explosive revelation, claims Uddhav Thackeray overlooked police transfer posting racket in state
Last year in March, OpIndia reported how Devendra Fadnavis had made a startling revelation that Uddhav Thackeray ignored a report on transfer posting racket in the state police.
During a press conference on March 23, former Chief Minister of Maharashtra and leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis alleged that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray chose not to act on a report exposing a racket related to the transfer of police officials which was bought to his notice. He further said that CM Thackeray decided to keep mum just to save his government.
He revealed how the Maharashtra Government had placed more focus on punishing the whistleblower Rashmi Shukla who may have provided data to the former chief minister than disproving his allegations.
Rashmi Shukla, Commissioner of Intelligence Department, her letter and her suspicious of nexus between politicians and the police in transfer scam
In August 2020, Rashmi Shukla, Commissioner at the State Intelligence Department, had written a letter to Subodh Kumar Jaiswal, Director General of Police, informing him of the alleged transfer racket.
The letter, dated 25th August 2020, states, “Upon the receipt of numerous complaints alleging that a network of ‘brokers’ had emerged, particularly individuals with firmly ingrained political connections, are engaged in arranging desired postings for police officers in exchange for massive monetary compensation.”
Rashmi Shukla emphasised that the matter should be brought before the attention of CM Uddhav Thackeray as it would severely undermine the credibility of the ruling dispensation. A day later, DHP Jaiswal acknowledged the receipt of the letter. He too recommended that the matter be brought before Uddhav Thackeray and a comprehensive enquiry into the allegations.
