Rashmi Shukla may have leaked letter to Fadnavis: Maharashtra Chief Secretary

MUMBAI: 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, state chief secretary Sitaram Kunte has said in his `fact-finding' report.

Kunte had been asked to submit a report by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray after Fadnavis alleged that the government suppressed Shukla's letter or report, based on phone intercepts, on a `transfer scam'.

"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, which was made public, said.

"She had intercepted the phone calls and exposing these names also threatened the privacy of the officials," Kunte said in the report.

The transfers mentioned in Shukla's letter, however, did not actually take place, and "there is no misdeed in transfers as well," said the chief secretary.

Referring to speculation about more data in a pen drive, Kunte said there was no accompanying pen drive when Shukla sent her letter to the state government.

"Prima facie, it appears that the letter has been leaked by Shukla herself," Kunte said.

He also claimed that Shukla had sought permission to tap some phone calls saying it was needed "in the interest of public safety", but she misled the state government.

NCP leader Jitendra Awhad had on Wednesday alleged that Shukla, then Commissioner of Intelligence, sought permission for intercepting the calls of certain persons, but actually the calls of some other persons were tapped.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Minister of State for Public Health Rajendra Patil-Yadravkar on Thursday claimed that Shukla had approached him and sought his support for the BJP post-2019 assembly polls.

Speaking to reporters, Patil said, "I was contacted by her after assembly polls as I got elected as an independent. She asked me to extend support to the BJP as the party was short of numbers to form government. But I refused."

Shukla is at the centre of controversy after BJP cited her confidential report to allege corruption in police transfers in Maharashtra.

Leaders of the ruling MVA coalition alleged that she tapped phones without permission while conducting the probe.