MVA govt trains guns on rivals off new CP’s shoulder

In the ongoing Maharashtra versus Centre tussle, the appointment of IPS officer Sanjay Pande as the Mumbai police commissioner appears to be a move by the MVA government to counter the perceived targeting of its leaders through central agencies. Ever since Pandey took charge, the Mumbai police and its Economic Offences Wing have been kept on their toes to go after the "enemies" of MVA, said sources.

Four days after Pandey became Mumbai police chief, an FIR was registered against IPS officer Rashmi Shukla at Colaba police station. Sources said additional commissioner of special branch Rajiv Jain is the complainant in the case.

Shukla faces the allegation of illegally tapping the phones of MVA leaders, including Sanjay Raut and Eknath Khadse, and a few top government officials. After Param Bir Singh, city's former police commissioner, Shukla has been on the state government's radar. During her tenure as the state's intelligence chief, it was alleged, she misused her position to boost BJP's efforts to topple the MVA government.

Shukla also faces the allegation of sharing with BJP's Devendra Fadnavis the phone-tapping details and a pen drive carrying information on private individuals who acted as agents to facilitate transfer and postings of choice for senior police officers for money. In the pen drive leak case, the cyber cell has registered an FIR under the Official Secrets Act and recorded her statement though she has not been shown as an accused. Fadanvis is the star witness.

Earlier, Shukla, who is now on a central posting, was booked by the Pune police for allegedly tapping the phone of senior Congress leader Nana Patole during her tenure as the Pune police commissioner between 2016-17. In the case, the Bombay HC has granted her protection from arrest till March 25. The FIR was registered based on a report of a committee headed by Pandey, who then held the additional charge of Maharashtra DGP. MVA's hitlist has another officer who ran into a controversy over the Sheena Bora murder case, said sources.

Eye on BJP leaders

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) is probing the role of a BJP leader's son in a land scam though the details of the complaint have not been revealed. Anticipating some action, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya's son Neil had moved an anticipatory bail plea in the sessions court, saying he apprehended coercive action by the EOW. The court rejected his plea on Monday. Kirit Somaiya has been vocal against the MVA government, especially Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and his family.

SET against NCB officers reactivated

A Special Enquiry Team (SET) of the Mumbai police probing into alleged extortion in connection with the arrest of actor Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan by the NCB last year has been reactivated with Pandey's arrival. The SET had hit a wall after SRK's manager Pooja Dadlani didn't record her statement. "SET has been looking after all the possible angles and exploring the legality of registering the case but we cannot share the details," said a police officer requesting anonymity.