Phone tapping row: Rashmi Shukla may have leaked letter to Fadnavis, alleges Maharashtra Chief Secretary

Amid allegations of cash for police transfers and promotions in Maharashtra that put the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government in a mess, Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte alleged that IPS officer Rashmi Shukla may have 'leaked' her confidential letter on alleged corruption in transfers in the Maharashtra police department to BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis.

In a five-page 'fact-finding' report submitted to Thackeray, Kunte said that IPS officer Rashmi Shukla had unauthorisedly tapped phones and she had apologised for it in 2020.

On August 25, Shukla, the then Commissioner of State Intelligence Department, had submitted a report to the then Director General of Police Subodh Jaiswal, who had forwarded it to Kunte, then Additional Chief Secretary (Home), to be brought to the eyes of Thackeray.

Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis has alleged that Thackeray forwarded the report to state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.

Also read — Rashmi Shukla illegally tapped ministers' phones: MVA

Incidentally, both Jaiswal and Shukla had opted for Central deputation, and are the Director General, CISF and Additional Director General, CRPF, respectively.

In the report submitted to Thackeray on Thursday evening, Kunte stated that no permission for phone tapping was granted under Indian Telegraph Act – and she clearly overstepped her brief.

When confronted, Shukla had admitted her mistake and apologised, citing certain personal and family issues like her husband’s death due to cancer and her children’s education.

“She (Shukla) had met the Chief Minister, Home Minister (Anil Deshmukh) and myself and expressed regrets for the matter… She also sought permission to withdraw her report… Since she was a woman officer with recent traumatic problems and had admitted her fault, a sympathetic view was taken and the matter was not pursued further… Meanwhile, she was transferred to a Central posting,” Kunte said in the report.

He said that the manner in which the ‘Top Secret’ report has come into the public domain is a matter of concern. “This matter is very serious and is liable for the most stringent action… It has infringed the privacy and brought avoidable disrepute to those officers and persons whose phones were tapped,” said Kunte.

"Despite stamping the letter as TOP SECRET, Rashmi Shukla seems to have leaked the letter, which is very serious matter. If it is proved, she will be liable for strictest action against her," Kunte's report said.