Deshmukh phone tapping case: Top cop Rashmi Shukla skips summons

Senior IPS officer from Maharashtra Rashmi Shukla, who is now CRPF special director general in Hyderabad, did not appear before the Mumbai Cyber Police on Wednesday (April 28) in an inquiry related to phone-tapping charges, which was connected to former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.

A Mumbai police official said that Shukla cited COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for her failure to travel from Hyderabad to Mumbai and suggested that a questionnaire be sent to her instead to speed up the inquiry.

The Mumbai police, however, were not satisfied by Shukla’s response and are likely to summon her once again.

Shukla shot to limelight after former Maharashtra Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis shared 6 GB of phone records purportedly of officers lobbying with Anil Deshmukh for postings with the Union Home Ministry. The Mumbai police say the phone records were provided to Fadnavis by Shukla herself. A few days before Fadnavis submitted the phone records to the Maharashtra government,former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh had written an explosive letter to CM Uddhav Thackeray, accusing Deshmukh of corruption.

Also read: Fadnavis committing crime by hoarding Remdesivir: Priyanka

Fadnavis defended Shukla, saying she intercepted the calls when she was the State Intelligence Department (SID) commissioner, after seeking required permission.

State Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte conducted an enquiry in the matter, on the basis of which the Mumbai police charged Shukla for breach of confidentiality, because such sensitive data was leaked to the Leader of Opposition.

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.

Fadnavis further defended Shukla by producing a letter purportedly written by Rashmi Shukla to the then Director General of Police about alleged corruption in police transfers. The letter also mentions details of intercepted calls.

Also read: CCTV clip shows Waze taking train to Thane on day of Hiran’s murder

Who is Rashmi Shukla?

A 1988 batch IPS officer, Shukla is a senior IPS officer of Maharashtra police. The present dispensation in Maharashtra, a combination of Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP, looks upon Shukla as someone who is close to BJP and Fadnavis. That was probably the reason why Shukla was transferred last year as State Intelligence Commissioner (SID) to Civil Defence, a less influential position. A few months back, Shukla joined as ADG Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and is currently posted in Hyderabad on a Central deputation.