IPS Rashmi Shukla not named as accused in phone tapping case, but there is material against her: Police to HC

The Maharashtra government on Monday told Bombay High Court that while senior IPS officer Rashmi Shukla has not been named as an accused in the alleged phone tapping and leak of sensitive documents case, there was material against her for a probe to be carried out.

Senior counsel Darius Khambata, appearing for the state government, told a division bench of Justices Nitin Jamdar and Sarang Kotwal that, as per preliminary probe, Shukla made three pen drives of sensitive documents and material containing phone surveillance on alleged corruption in police transfers and postings.

"Two of the pen drives have been tracked and are in the custody of the state government. Our contention is the third pen drive was handed over to the Union Home Ministry by the Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra," Khambata said.

He further said the police requested LoP Devendra Fadnavis and the Union Home Ministry to share the pen drive but there has been no response.

"We need to verify if the contents of the three pen drives are the same. If they are, then it will become apparent where the leak was from. We are only probing the issue of leak of sensitive documents and are not concerned with the contents of the same," Khambata said.

He further told the court the police has also filed an application before a metropolitan magistrate seeking for the third pen drive to be handed over to the police.

"This is a serious matter. She (Shukla) has not been named as an accused in the FIR yet. But there is material against her and the investigation should proceed," Khambata said.

The court was hearing a petition filed by Shukla seeking to quash the FIR and also sought for the probe to be transferred to the CBI, which is already probing allegations against former state home minister Anil Deshmukh.

Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, appearing for Central Bureau of Investigation, told the court the agency was willing to probe the case.

Khambata, however, opposed this and pointed out to the court that Shukla, in her petition, has said the surveillance was carried out at the instance of Subodh Jaiswal, then Director General of Police of Maharashtra, who is now CBI Director.

The court will hear the matter further on October 28.

Shukla, in her petition, has alleged she was being made a scapegoat and was being targeted by the Maharashtra government for submitting a report on alleged corruption in police transfers and postings.

The plea further said the State Intelligence Department, which she was heading at the time, had taken requisite permissions from the Additional Chief Secretary of the state government prior to the surveillance.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)