Phone tapping: IPS officer Rashmi Shukla skips police summons

MUMBAI: CRPF special director general Rashmi Shukla didn't turn up at the cyber department of Mumbai Police on Wednesday for questioning in connection with the alleged illegal phone tapping case citing the COVID-19 pandemic and instead demanded that a questionnaire be sent to her so that she could reply, a police official said.

The cyber department had on Monday issued summons to Shukla, currently posted in Hyderabad, asking her to appear before the BKC Cyber department on Wednesday by 11 am.

Replying to the summons on Tuesday via email, Shukla had expressed her inability to appear before the department due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the official said.

The senior IPS officer had also requested that a list of questionnaire be sent to her to avoid any delay in the investigation, he added.

However, the police are not satisfied with her reply and are likely to summon her again, the official said.

On Monday, the Mumbai Police's cyber department had issued summons to Shukla at her residence in Hyderabad in connection with the case of alleged illegal phone tapping.

An FIR was registered under the Official Secrets Act at the BKC cyber police station against unidentified persons for allegedly tapping phones illegally and leaking certain confidential documents on the complaint filed by the State Intelligence Department.

The FIR also invoked section 30 of the Indian Telegraph Act and section 43(B) of the Information Technology Act.

The alleged tapping of phones had taken place when Shukla headed the Maharashtra intelligence department.

BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis had cited a letter purportedly written by Shukla to the then Director General of Police about alleged corruption in police transfers.

The letter also had details of intercepted calls, leading to an uproar with leaders of the Shiv Sena-led ruling coalition alleging that Shukla tapped phones without permission.

Before registration of the FIR, Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte had alleged in a report submitted to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray that it appears that Shukla herself had leaked the confidential report (to Fadnavis).