Police on Sunday tightened security outside the residence of senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis and BKC cyber police station in south Mumbai, an official said. Mumbai Cyber Police has issued a notice to former Maharashtra Chief Minister Fadnavis asking him to appear before him on Sunday in connection with the case.
However, Fadnavis said on Saturday that a senior police officer called to inform him that the police would go to his residence to collect necessary information and that there was no need for him to go to the police station. The official said that since a police team will visit the residence of the BJP leader in Malabar Hill area, party supporters may gather there and outside the BKC cyber police station, so additional police personnel, including women, have been deployed at both the places.
Phones of political leaders including state Congress chief Nana Patole, minister Bachcha Kadu, former MLA Ashish Deshmukh, former MP Sanjay Kakade and others were illegally tapped by IPS officer Rashmi Shukla when she was the state’s intelligence chief, Maharashtra Home. Minister Dilip Walse Patil made the allegation last month.
“In the notice issued to Fadnavis, the police have stated that questionnaires regarding the matter were earlier sent to him in sealed covers, but he did not respond to them. Apart from this, notices were also issued to him twice seeking answers, but he again failed to respond,” said the police officer.
Apart from this, three letters were sent to Fadnavis, reminding him to appear before the police. However, he failed to respond, he said.
Last year, a case under the Official Secrets Act was registered against unidentified persons at BKC Cyber Police Station for allegedly illegal phone tapping and leaking of confidential documents. The complaint was lodged by the State Intelligence Department (SID).
However, before the registration of the FIR, the then Chief Secretary of Maharashtra, Sitaram Kunte, in his investigation report had alleged that IPS officer Rashmi Shukla had leaked the confidential report.
Shukla is accused of tapping the phones of political leaders and senior officials when she was the head of the SID. Fadnavis found himself at the center of controversy by referring to a letter purportedly written by him to the then Director General of Police regarding alleged corruption in transfers in the police department.
The letter also contained details of the intercepted phone calls, leading the leaders of the Shiv Sena-led ruling coalition to allege that Shukla tapped phones without permission.
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