BJP flags posting ‘racket’, NCP raises phone-tapping issue

MUMBAI: Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik claimed on Tuesday that IPS officer Rashmi Shukla, who is currently on central deputation, was shunted out as Commissioner of Intelligence because she was tapping the phones of Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders at the BJP’s behest.

Malik’s claim followed leader of opposition Devendra Fadnavis’s allegation of large-scale corruption in police transfers and postings. At a press conference, the BJP leader and former CM claimed to have “6.3 GB data” of audio calls intercepted by Shukla with due permissions from the state government. The names of several key police officers, including IPS officers, and politicians were discussed during the calls.

The report was submitted to CM Uddhav Thackeray in August 2020, but no action was taken, Fadnavis said, and demanded a CBI probe in to the entire affair. Responding to the allegation, Malik alleged that Shukla was acting as a BJP agent and prepared the call records illegally. The minister said Shukla did not seek permission for tapping the phones and hence, indulged in a criminal act and was also leaking information to the Opposition. 

“As a punishment, the Maharashtra government shifted her from the intelligence department to a less important department civil defence,” Malik said. Shukla is currently deputed as ADG of CRPF. She was not available for comment. Malik alleged that the latest allegation was another ploy by the BJP to topple the MVA government which would fail.

The BJP could not poach MLAs and that’s why it was using IPS and IAS officers as a pawn to destabilise the state government, he said. Fadnavis later met the Union Home Secretary in Delhi and demanded CBI probe into a state intelligence department report on corruption in police transfers.