Phone tapping case: Pune Police reaches Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole's residence to record his statement

In the latest development in phone tapping case, Pune Police on Saturday reached Mumbai to record the statement of Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole.

The statement of the Congress leader is being recorded at his residence.

In February, the Pune Police had lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against IPS officer Rashmi Shukla at Bund Garden police station in Pune in connection with the alleged illegal phone tapping of Nana Patole during the tenure of the previous BJP-led government in Maharashtra.

Notably, last year, Patole 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.

For unversed, Rashmi Shukla is currently posted in Hyderabad as the Additional Director General of CRPF (South Zone). There are also allegations of illegal phone tapping when Shukla was heading the SID. BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis had cited a letter, purportedly written by Shukla, to the then DGP about alleged corruption in transfer of police officers.

The letter had mentioned details of intercepted calls, with the Shiv Sena-led ruling coalition alleging that Shukla had tapped the phones without permission.

Following a complaint by the SID, the Mumbai police lodged an FIR in March 2021 under the Official Secrets Act at BKC cyber police station against unidentified persons for allegedly tapping phones and leaking confidential documents. Shukla had moved the Bombay High Court against the FIR.

Published on: Saturday, May 07, 2022, 02:22 PM IST