Devendra Fadnavis to be questioned in alleged phone-tapping case

Addressing a press conference in Mumbai on Saturday, Fadnavis said that though he enjoyed the privilege as leader of opposition to not reveal his source of information, he will cooperate with the police

Mumbai: The Mumbai cyber police have issued a notice to leader of opposition and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, asking him to appear before them on Sunday in connection with a case of alleged illegal tapping of phones, an official said on Saturday.

Fadnavis on Saturday said that he received two questionnaires from the police for more information. (ANI)

Fadnavis, a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that a senior police officer called to inform him that police will visit his residence to take the required information and there was no need for him to visit the cyber police station in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC).

A notice under section 160 of Criminal Procedure Code was sent to Fadnavis for additional information in the case related to phone tapping and police transfers registered by them under various sections of Official Secret Act and Information Technology Act.

Addressing a press conference in Mumbai on Saturday, Fadnavis said that though he enjoyed the privilege as leader of opposition to not reveal his source of information, he will cooperate with the police.

“The case has no meaning as such as the CBI has already taken over the probe as per the direction of the Supreme Court. The court also asked the state government to hand over the evidence to the CBI. The truth in the case will come to the fore from the CBI probe. As a former home minister, I will cooperate with the police and share information with them. It is, however, surprising that the Police has registered a case and summoned me instead of probing the scam related to the transfers of IPS officers. The state government did nothing for six months despite a report submitted by a senior officer to the government,” he said.

The police had written six letters to Fadnavis between August 2021 and March 2022, seeking the information in the case. Fadnavis on Saturday said that he received two questionnaires from the police for more information earlier.

Joint police commissioner (crime) of Mumbai police communicated to Fadnavis later in the day that an investigating officer would come to his official residence. Fadnavis wrote on social media in the evening that he had cancelled his Pune tour and will make himself on Sunday.

While addressing the media in March last year Fadnavis had alleged that he had proof of a cash-for-transfer scam involving police officials and politicians in the state. He exhibited a pen drive and copies of a report submitted by Rashmi Shukla, the then state commissioner of Intelligence. Fadnavis also submitted these to the Union home secretary seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The Mumbai police registered a case against unidentified persons based on a complaint by the State Intelligence Department, for alleged illegal tapping of phones and leaking confidential documents.

The then chief secretary Sitaram Kunte submitted a brief on the behest of the CM which stated that Shukla intercepted the calls of six persons under the guise of “public safety” and thus “misguided the authorities”. It further stated that no transfers of police officials took place between June 27 and September 1, 2020 – the period in which the calls were intercepted — and thus no scam had occurred.

The report contained details of conversations between the people involved in the transfer of the IPS officers by paying money. The conversation was reportedly procured by intercepting the phones for the people involved.

The CBI is also probing the alleged cash-for-transfer scam, which is different from the phone-tapping investigation being carried out by the cyber crime cell of the Mumbai police.

Meanwhile, talking about the allegations levelled on the floor of the house of the state Assembly last week, Fadnavis said that he had checked the veracity of the tapes he submitted in the house by conducting a forensic audit. “Besides the video and audio tapes of 125 hours proving the conspiracy by the MVA government, I have other proof. I will share them with the CBI during the probe. We will move court for the CBI probe if the government does not initiate one. Instead of taking action for the conspiracy, the state government is questioning the veracity of the tapes and the rights to record such communication,” he said.

Fadnavis submitted 28 pen drives that contained information on an alleged conspiracy to frame Opposition leaders. Fadnavis alleged that a public prosecutor in connivance with a few police officers and political leaders hatched a conspiracy to frame BJP leaders including him in false cases.

Home minister Dilip Walse Patil has said that he will reply to the allegations in the state Assembly on Monday.