New Delhi: Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis has been summoned by the cyber cell of Mumbai Police on Sunday in connection to an alleged phone tapping case.
Fadnavis, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly, had initially said that he would visit the cyber cell office at 11am on Sunday. However, taking to his Twitter handle, he said that he received a call from the police station and that the officials would come over to his residence for the interrogation.
“Just received a call from Joint CP, Crime. He told I’m not required to go to BKC police station. Instead, they will only come to take the required information. I have cancelled all my Pune programs for tomorrow. I’ll be at my residence. They can come anytime. JaiHind, JaiMaharashtra!,” Fadnavis wrote.
Just received a call from Joint CP,Crime.
He told I’m not required to go toBKC police station.
Instead,they will only come to take the required information.
I have cancelled all my Pune programs for tomorrow.
I’ll be at my residence.
They can come anytime.
JaiHind, JaiMaharashtra!— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) March 12, 2022
A police official, as quoted by news agency PTI, said, “In the notice issued to Fadnavis, police have said that questionnaires were earlier sent to him in sealed envelopes in connection with the case, but he did not respond to them. Besides, notices were also issued to him twice to seek his reply, but he had again failed to reply.”
Speaking on the notice issued to him, Fadnavis said, “The notice is served to me because I exposed the MVA government. I demand that the investigation of this (phone tapping case) should be handed over to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The state government cannot conduct a proper probe in such cases.”
The leader further added, “The state is trying to pressure me because I had exposed the scam of transfer in the state police force…I have more proofs with me, which I will hand over to the CBI only. I will cooperate with the Mumbai Police in tomorrow’s probe as well.”
It is to be noted that a case was registered last year under the Official Secrets Act at the BKC cyber police station in Mumbai against unidentified persons, for allegedly tapping phones of political leaders illegally and leaking confidential documents. The police complaint was lodged by the State Intelligence Department (SID).
However, before registering the FIR, the then Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte alleged in his inquiry report that IPS officer Rashmi Shukla had leaked the confidential report.
Shukla, who is accused of tapping phones of political leaders and senior officials when she was chief of the SID, found herself at the centre of controversy after Fadnavis cited a letter, purportedly written by her to the then Maharashtra Director General of Police, about alleged corruption in transfers in the police department.
The letter also had details of intercepted phone calls that led to a major row, with the leaders of the Shiv Sena-led ruling coalition alleging that Shukla had tapped the phones without permission.
In April last year, the Mumbai Police had summoned Shukla for interrogation before the BKC cyber cell where she did not show up citing the Covid pandemic.
However, later in May, a team from the Mumbai cyber police recorded her statement in Hyderabad in connection with the phone tapping leak case.