Devendra Fadnavis to appear before BKC cyber crime police station on March 13

In a significant development, Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP has been summoned by the Mumbai Police in connection with the sensitive case involving corruption in transfers and postings in the Maharashtra Police department.

Fadnavis, a former Chief Minister, who held the Home portfolio for five years, has been asked to appear under section 160 CrPC vis-a-vis a case registered under the Official Secrets Act, 1923 - vis-a-vis the transfers/posting scam.

The senior BJP leader, however, has decided to honour the notice and appear at the Bandra-Kurla Complex cyber crime police station in Mumbai on Sunday around 1100 hrs.

In March 2021, Fadnavis had exposed the transfers/postings scam.

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“Instead of acting on the report over transfers/posting scam, the government has directed the Mumbai Police to register an FIR with the vindictive approach,” Fadnavis said.

“I am the Leader of Opposition…I have certain privileges, the police cannot ask me to tell from where I have got the information. Still, I was the Chief Minister and also the Home Minister, I understand my responsibility and I have decided to appear before the BKV cyber police station as asked and get my statement recorded,” Fadnavis told a hurriedly-convened news conference on Saturday.

With the Budget session of the Maharashtra Legislature currently underway - the development would have its echo on Monday.

It may be mentioned, the Maharashtra government had earlier told a Mumbai court that Fadnavis is a witness in the case registered over illegal phone tapping that allegedly took place when IPS officer Rashmi Shukla was Commissioner of the State Intelligence Department.

Shukla, an officer of 1988-batch of IPS, is currently on central deputation and posted in Hyderabad as the Additional Director General (South Zone) of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

In August 2020, Shukla drafted a report indicating cash for transfers and promotions in Maharashtra Police which was forwarded by then director general of police Subodh Jaiswal to the then Additional Chief Secretary (home) and later Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte to be shown to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

However, the Chief Minister passed on the report to the then Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and no action was taken.

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