Phone Tapping Case | Fadnavis Was Sent A Set Of Questions That He Did Not Answer: Maharashtra Home Minister

Alleging that the opposition was doing politics over the case, Patil said that five to six notices have been sent to Fadnavis and a case has been registered against five unknown persons.

Phone Tapping Case | Fadnavis Was Sent A Set Of Questions That He Did Not Answer: Maharashtra Home Minister (Image: ANI)

New Delhi: Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil, speaking on the alleged phone tapping case, said that the Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis was not summoned by the Mumbai cyber cell but was sent a set of questions to answer on Sunday.

According to a report by news agency ANI, Patil said, “Today, a police team went to his residence as he did not answer those questions sent to him regarding the case.”

Alleging that the opposition was doing politics over the case, Patil said that five to six notices have been sent to Fadnavis and a case has been registered against five unknown persons.

“Opposition is doing politics on this case. Till now, 5-6 notices have been given to Devendra Fadnavis. A case has been registered against 5 unknown persons. 24 people statements recorded till now and more will be recorded in the future,” ANI quoted Patil as saying.

Opposition is doing politics on this case. Till now, 5-6 notices have been given to Devendra Fadnavis. A case has been registered against 5 unknown persons. 24 people statements recorded till now and more will be recorded in the future: Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil pic.twitter.com/Qi1OthxOxa

— ANI (@ANI) March 13, 2022

Meanwhile, Fadnavis, whose statement was recorded by the Mumbai police, said that the kind of questions asked to him were as if to make him look like a co-accused in the case. 

After two hours of intterogation at his south Mumbai residence on Sunday, Fadnavis told mediapersons close to news agency PTI that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government will not succeed in its motives no mater how much it tries to 'frame' him in the phone tapping case.  

It is to be noted that last year, a case was registered under the Official Secrets Act at the BKC cyber police station in Mumbai against unidentified persons, for allegedly tapping phones of political leaders illegally and leaking confidential documents. The police complaint was lodged by the State Intelligence Department (SID).

However, before registering the FIR, the then Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte alleged in his inquiry report that IPS officer Rashmi Shukla had leaked the confidential report.

Shukla, who is accused of tapping phones of political leaders and senior officials when she was chief of the SID, found herself at the centre of controversy after Fadnavis cited a letter, purportedly written by her to the then Maharashtra Director General of Police, about alleged corruption in transfers in the police department.

The letter also had details of intercepted phone calls that led to a major row, with the leaders of the Shiv Sena-led ruling coalition alleging that Shukla had tapped the phones without permission.

In April last year, the Mumbai Police had summoned Shukla for interrogation before the BKC cyber cell where she did not show up citing the Covid pandemic.

However, later in May, a team from the Mumbai cyber police recorded her statement in Hyderabad in connection with the phone tapping leak case.