Mumbai: Following the order of the Bombay High Court allowing Mumbai Police to record statement of Indian Police Service officer Rashmi Shukla in Hyderabad, in connection with the phone tapping case, Shukla has informed the Mumbai Police to visit Hyderabad after May 15 since a lockdown is currently imposed in the city.
"Kindly, convey your convenient date and time after May 15 (as there is imposition of lockdown) for your team's proposed visit to Hyderabad. You are requested to at least intimate convenient date at least three working days in advance to enable me to adjust my work schedule accordingly," Shukla had stated in her response to the Mumbai police.
Maharashtra government on Thursday last had informed the HC that it was willing to send a police team to Hyderabad to video record the statement of Shukla in connection with the FIR registered against unknown persons over ‘leaking’ her confidential report on alleged politician-police nexus on transfers and postings. The state further had told the court that it would not arrest Shukla before the next date of the hearing of the matter before the court.
The cyber department had on April 26 issued summons to Shukla, currently posed in Hyderabad, asking her to appear before the BKC Cyber department on April 28 by 11 am in connection with an offense registered in the phone tapping matter.
Replying to the summons a day after via email, Shukla had expressed her inability to appear before the department due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She had also requested that a list of questionnaires be sent to her to avoid any delay in the investigation.
The police on April 29 again issued summons to Shukla asking her to record her statement in Mumbai on May 03 after which she had first moved Telangana HC and later Bombay HC against the summons issued to her, fearing arrest.
An FIR was registered under the Official Secrets Act at the BKC cyber police station against unidentified persons for allegedly tapping phones illegally and leaking certain confidential documents on the complaint filed by the State Intelligence Department.
The FIR also invoked section 30 of the Indian Telegraph Act and section 43(B) of the Information Technology Act.
The alleged tapping of phones had taken place when Shukla headed the Maharashtra intelligence department.
BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis had cited a letter purportedly written by Shukla to the then Director General of Police about alleged corruption in police transfers.
The letter also had details of intercepted calls, leading to an uproar with leaders of the Shiv Sena-led ruling coalition alleging that Shukla tapped phones without permission.
Before registration of the FIR, Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte had alleged in a report submitted to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray that it appears that Shukla herself had leaked the confidential report (to Fadnavis).
