Maharashtra: Devendra Fadnavis seeks CBI probe in cop transfers, NCP says phones tapped illegally

Devendra Fadnavis has alleged that Anil Deshmukh was not in isolation during the home quarantine period. File pic/Suresh Karkera

Mounting further pressure on the ruling parties, opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, on the basis of a confidential report that said there was rampant corruption in the Maharashtra police transfers. The report was prepared by former Commissioner of Intelligence Rashmi Shukla, who with permission from the state home secretary, had kept certain phones on surveillance in 2019, said Fadnavis on Tuesday before leaving for New Delhi to submit a copy of the confidential report to the Union Home Ministry.

"An intelligence report dated August 25, 2020 was submitted to the DGP, Subodh Kumar Jaiswal and in turn he forwarded it to the Additional Chief Secretary (home) Sitaram Kunte for appropriate further actions and to bring the malpractice to the chief minister's notice. I have 6.3 GB data and the transcripts which were given to the CM. All officers mentioned in the transcripts got postings they asked for," Fadnavis told media persons at state BJP headquarters.

"The government did not take any action though the CM had expressed concern over the seriousness of the findings. The CM can tell what stopped him from taking action. It seems he protected the racket to save his government," said Fadnavis, adding that Shukla was transferred unceremoniously for the report. "I will give all this information to the union home secretary because he is the custodian of the IPS officers and demand a CBI inquiry," he said.

After meeting the union home secretary in New Delhi, Fadnavis said he would move court, if need be. He insisted that Shukla had taken permission for phone tapping. "The secretary has told me that the information and evidence I shared with him would be verified," he said. Former commissioner of police, Mumbai, Param Bir Singh has moved the Supreme Court seeking a CBI probe in the allegations against Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and cancellation of his transfer from the CP office.

Questions over HM's home isolation

Fadnavis said contrary to NCP chief Sharad Pawar's statement, Deshmukh, after getting discharged from a COVID-19 facility in Nagpur, had travelled in a private aircraft on February 15 to Mumbai where he met several police officers and leaders during the period city's former police chief Singh has mentioned in his complaint letter to the CM. "I have two police manifest documents which show Deshmukh's movements on February 17 and 24 in Mumbai. However, I don't know if he visited the venues mentioned in the police documents," he said.

Deshmukh's home isolation came to the fore when Singh alleged that in a meeting held at the minister's official residence in Mumbai , the suspended and arrested API Sachin Waze was given a directive to collect R100 crore per month from the hotels, restaurants, pubs and other establishments in Mumbai.

Singh said the discussions were held at the end of February, the allegation dismissed by Pawar, who said Deshmukh was in the hospital from February 5 to 15 and from February 15 to 27, in home isolation in Nagpur. Fadnavis said Deshmukh was not in isolation during the home quarantine period. "There is evidence and it's not difficult to find if one wishes," he said.

False report, phone tapping illegal: says NCP

NCP's chief spokesperson and Deshmukh's cabinet colleague, Nawab Malik, accused Fadnavis of using police officers to conspire the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. "When all other designs have failed, Fadnavis is using police officers to defame the government. It's a conspiracy to make the government fall," he said. Malik produced Shukla's report and read out from it to dismiss Fadnavis's claim that permission was sought to tap phones and the officers who struck deals (with people in the government or brokers) were given the choice postings. "No permission was sought for tapping (the phones). It was illegal, and Shukla had been tapping the phone of politicians when the government was being made in 2019. She acted like a BJP agent, as did the then DGP Subodh Kumar Jaiswal. Shukla was punished for illegal acts," he said.

According to Malik, the report said (IPS officers) Sandeep Bishnoi, Bipin Kumar Singh, Sanjay Varma and Vinay Kumar Choubey had finalised deals for favourite postings, but none of them got the posts Shukla has mentioned in her ‘false' report. He said there were establishment boards headed by the ACS and DGP to decide transfers. "The home minister cannot transfer any officer using his powers. The HM hasn't taken money," he said.

On Deshmukh's isolation, Malik said the home minister has clarified about his air travel. "Fadnavis has been creating doubt and misleading people. Nobody said Deshmukh was in quarantine at his Nagpur home. He hasn't ventured out in Mumbai except for walks in a maidan during the quarantine period," he added.