CS Kunte says IPS officer Shukla will face action if it’s proved that she leaked a confidential report
In his report, Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte said Rashmi Shukla (right) misused the nod granted to her to keep an eye on anti-national elements
Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte has confirmed that the state’s former intelligence commissioner Rashmi Shukla had illegally tapped the phones of private persons by misusing the permission sought under the pretext of keeping an eye on anti-national elements.
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Kunte, who had granted Shukla permission as the then additional chief secretary (home), submitted a report to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeary on Thursday night. The issue was debated in Wednesday’s cabinet meeting in which the ministers wanted Shukla punished for the illegal tapping, leaking of the report and sharing phone tapping data with Opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis, who submitted it to the Union Home Ministry, seeking a CBI probe in the corruption in police transfers that Shukla had alleged in her ‘top secret’ report.
Fadnavis said the CM had ignored the report when it was brought to his notice last year. Shukla’s report deals with a period between September 2 and October 28, 2020. Kunte said the IPS officer had sought his permission under the Indian Telegraph Act, but misled the government by tapping the phones of the persons who turned out to be different from the listed purpose “The tapping provision/permission is not used in political matters, commercial disputes and family issues. But in this episode, the permission was used for the purpose which was entirely different. This is very serious. Shukla was asked to explain then,” said Kunte in his report, a copy of which was accessed by mid-day.
The CS’s report is expected to expedite the initiation of action against Shukla, who is serving a Central deputation in New Delhi. The report says the confidential report appeared to be a copy of the documents she had with her in the official capacity, almost charging her for the leak. “If the leak is proved, Shukla will be liable for facing action,” recommended Kunte. He also raised doubt over procurement of digital data (a pen drive) of phone-tapping transcripts by the Opposition leader. The cabinet members have demanded booking Shukla under the Official Secrets Act.
‘No substance in her report’
In his report, Kunte said, he, as ACS (Home), had submitted his recommendation to the CM on August 31, 2020. He made observations that there was no concrete evidence, except for so-called interpretation of CDR (call record detail) analysis and the nature of the inquiry was roving.
“In the absence of precise information, launching a CID inquiry would be undesirable. It will likely lead to a witch-hunt and cause serious discontent among officers. No tangible result or purpose will be achieved. As a matter of fact, as soon as such incident was noticed, it was the duty of Commissioner, SID (Shukla) and DGP (Subodh Kumar Jaiswal) to bring it to immediate notice of any superior authorities, including ACS (home), CS and Home Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and Chief Minister. It was not done to the best of my knowledge,” observed Kunte on Shukla’s report (in August 2020).
Kunte said in the period mentioned by Shukla all officers were busy in tackling the Coronavirus pandemic and the government neither proposed transfers nor shifted the officers. “There was no need to act on Shukla’s report because, in the then situation, Shukla couldn’t have connected the conversation of private people to the transfer of Indian Police Service officers,” he said, adding that there was a proper set-up of establishment boards for deciding transfers. The CS said when Shukla was asked to explain, she met him, Home Minister and Chief Minister. “She expressed regrets and discussed her personal problems. She asked for withdrawing the report, but there is NO such provision in the government. Action was not taken against Shukla out of sympathy and courtesy because she is a woman; she had accepted her mistake and brought to our notice her personal problems like the untimely death of her husband and the children who are pursuing studies,” noted Kunte’s report.
‘Shukla leaked report’
Kunte said the confidential report he had received in August did not have a pen drive. “The report, along with the data on pen drive, is now available with the media. It appears that the leaked ‘top secret’ document is copied from the one Shukla had with her as an official version. This is very serious,” he said.
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