Phone-tapping case: Fadnavis to be quizzed

A notice under Section 160 (power to require the attendance of witnesses) of the CrPC was sent to Fadnavis for additional information in the case related to phone tapping and police transfers registered by them under various sections of the Official Secret Act and the Information Technology Act.

The Mumbai cyber police issued a notice to former Maharashtra chief minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis, asking him to appear before them on Sunday in connection with the illegal phone tapping case, an official said on Saturday.

Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Devendra Fadnavis said that though he enjoyed the privilege as leader of Opposition of not revealing his source of information, he will cooperate with the police. (ANI)

Phones of political leaders, including state Congress chief Nana Patole, minister Bachchu Kadu, former MLA Ashish Deshmukh, former MP Sanjay Kakade and others were tapped illegally by IPS officer Rashmi Shukla, when she was the state intelligence chief, Maharashtra home minister Dilip Walse Patil had alleged last month.

A notice under Section 160 (power to require the attendance of witnesses) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) was sent to Fadnavis for additional information in the case related to phone tapping and police transfers registered by them under various sections of the Official Secret Act and the Information Technology Act.

Addressing a press conference in Mumbai on Saturday, Fadnavis said that though he enjoyed the privilege as leader of Opposition of not revealing 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.

Fadnavis also said that the joint police commissioner (crime) of Mumbai police called to inform him that there was no need for him to visit the cyber police station in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) as police will visit his residence to take the required information.