‘Phone tapping’ of Nana Patole: FIR lodged against IPS officer Rashmi Shukla

Last year, state Congress chief Nana Patole had alleged that his phone was tapped during 2016-2017 on the pretext that it belonged to a narcotics trader. Following this, the government ordered a probe.

IPS officer Rashmi Shukla in Pune. (Express Photo: Pavan Khengre)

An FIR has been lodged against IPS officer Rashmi Shukla at Bund Garden police station in Pune in connection with the alleged illegal phone tapping of state Congress president Nana Patole during the tenure of the previous BJP-led government in Maharashtra.

Sources with Pune city police confirmed that a First Information Report has been lodged against Shukla under sections of the Indian Telegraph Act.

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.

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Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil had then announced that the state government will probe the allegations. Accordingly, a three-member committee headed by Director General of Police Sanjay Pandey was formed to conduct an inquiry. Other members of the committee included the state intelligence department (SID) commissioner and additional commissioner of the special branch.

This committee has submitted its report to the government. Police sources said after receiving sanction from the state government based on this report, an FIR was lodged against Rashmi Shukla at Bund Garden police station. Shukla was Pune city police commissioner between March 2016 and July 2018, when she is alleged to have done the phone tapping.

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.

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