Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said he will not go to the BKC cyber police station in Mumbai tomorrow as cops will themselves come to him to record his statement in a phone tapping case. A few hours ago, Fadnavis had said he would go to the police station to record his statement in connection with the case.
“Joint CP, Crime told me that I don't need to go to the BKC police station tomorrow. Instead, they will only come to take the required information,” Fadnavis said in a tweet.
Addressing a press conference earlier in the day, Fadnavis said, “As a Leader of Opposition, I have the privilege to not reveal where I got the information from but I was Home Minister once and I understand my responsibility. If an offence was falsely registered and if the police wants some help, I will respond. So, I will go to the Police Station tomorrow.”
The BJP leader also alleged that the state government was attempting to protect scamsters involved in the case. "Had the government caught the scamsters and those who are being probed by CBI on time and not brushed the matter under the carpet for six months, then I need not have exposed it. The State Government wants to protect them and somebody who has exposed this is being called to the police station," he said.
{{/usCountry}}The BJP leader also alleged that the state government was attempting to protect scamsters involved in the case. "Had the government caught the scamsters and those who are being probed by CBI on time and not brushed the matter under the carpet for six months, then I need not have exposed it. The State Government wants to protect them and somebody who has exposed this is being called to the police station," he said.
{{/usCountry}}On February 26, Maharashtra home minister Dilip Walse Patil claimed that former Pune Police Commissioner Rashmi Shukla had tapped phones of political leaders like Nana Patole, Bachchu Kadu, Sanjay Kakade and Ashish Deshmukh. Pune Police on Saturday registered an FIR against Rashmi Shukla in the Maharashtra phone tapping case. The case was registered under section 26 of the Indian Telegraph Act.
The controversy over phone tapping had erupted in 2020 after audio clips purportedly having a telephonic conversation between Union minister Gajendra Singh and Congress leaders surfaced.
With agency inputs