Former Pune top cop booked for phone-tapping

Pune, February 26

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The Pune police have registered an FIR against IPS officer and former city police chief Rashmi Shukla in connection with the alleged illegal tapping of politicians’ phones between 2015 and 2019, an official said on Saturday.

Panel report

• Rashmi Shukla, who was Pune Police Commissioner between March 2016 and July 2018, allegedly tapped phones of politicians illegally
• The case has been registered against Shukla based on a report submitted recently by a three-member committee

The case was registered against her based on a report submitted recently by a three-member committee, he said.

Shukla, who was posted as the Pune Police Commissioner between March 2016 and July 2018, is presently on central deputation and posted as Additional Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Hyderabad.

“A case has been registered against Rashmi Shukla at Bund Garden police station here in connection with the alleged illegal phone-tapping. She was booked under Section 26 of the Indian Telegraph Act,” the official said.

In a statement, the city police said, “During the monsoon session of the Maharashtra legislature in 2021, in response to a question asked by a member, a committee was formed to probe the allegations of illegal tapping of politicians’ phones between 2015 and 2019. The committee was headed by the then DGP Sanjay Pandey.”

In its report submitted recently, the committee said Rashmi Shukla, during her tenure as Pune Police Commissioner, illegally tapped phones. Hence a case has been registered against her and others, the statement said. —