Kunte report fallout: Intel department files case for theft of secret data

Sitaram Kunte’s report says Rashmi Shukla misused the permission granted to her; (right) Devendra Fadnavis says Kunte is an upright officer and he could not have authored the report

A criminal case has been filed against an unidentified person for stealing a top-secret letter and technical data from the State Intelligence Department. The Cyber Cell of the city crime branch will investigate the alleged information theft.

The intelligence department filed a complaint on Friday following Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte's report that, in all probability, the information was procured from the SID commissioner's office. Former SID chief Rashmi Shukla has been named as a suspect in Kunte's report. Shukla's confidential letter was made public by Opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis to substantiate charges of a racket operating for police transfers.

The government hit back saying that Shukla misused permission for phone tapping and asked Kunte to submit his report, because he had given the permission as the then additional chief secretary (home).

According to information shared by Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale, a crime has been registered under section 30 of the Indian Telegraph Act 1885, sections 43 (B), 66 of the Information Technology Act 2008 and section 5 of the Official Secrets Act 1923. "An officer of the rank of assistant commissioner would conduct the inquiry, which might cover Shukla as well as Fadnavis," said sources.

Ministers wrote Kunte's report: Fadnavis

Fadnavis said on Friday Kunte is an upright officer and he couldn't have authored such a report. "Perhaps ministers Jitendra Awhad or Nawab Malik have prepared the report and Kunte merely signed it," he said.

Fadnavis said the report hid certain facts. "The Telegraph Act allows phone tapping for several purposes. National security is one and the other most important provision is for keeping the phones under surveillance when there is a possibility of some crime happening. The report distorted the very basic provision of the Telegraph Act," he said, adding that even the Anti Corruption Bureau was allowed to tap phones in case of graft cases.

‘Malik leaked report'

The ex-CM dismissed allegations that he made Shukla's report public. "I gave just the covering letter of Shukla's report. Actually, minister Nawab Malik made the document public. The five pages Malik shared with journalists show that 11-12 transfers are from the 6.3 GB [CDR] data. I will share more things in the court," said Fadanvis.