Bharatiya Janata Party leader from Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday recorded his statement before the Mumbai Police in connection with an alleged phone tapping case, PTI reported.
Fadnavis, who is a witness in the case, claimed that he was asked questions as if he was to be made a co-accused person in the case.
The case pertains to allegations that Indian Police Service officer Rashmi Shukla tapped the phones of several state political leaders. Two cases have been filed against Shukla in the matter – the first one in Pune and the second one in Mumbai.
According to the first information report lodged in Pune, Shukla allegedly tapped the phone of state Congress president Nana Patole between 2014 and 2019. The case lodged in Mumbai is about the alleged tapping of phones of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut and Nationalist Congress Party leader Eknath Khadse.
Fadnavis on Sunday said that the police had earlier sent him a questionnaire about the case, but that the questions he was asked on Sunday were very different.
“The questions asked today were as if I only violated the Official Secrets Act...” the BJP leader said. “The questions were not asked in the manner it is asked to a witness. The questions were asked to me as if to make me an accused or co-accused.”
Fadnavis also alleged that the state government suppressed an alleged scam about the transfer of officials. He claimed that he was the one who brought the alleged scam to light, and so the Whistleblowers Act should apply to him.
Earlier, the BJP leader had cited letters purportedly written by Shukla to the then Maharashtra Director General of Police about alleged corruption in transfers of police officials
On Saturday, Fadnavis had said he had received a notice from Mumbai Police summoning him in connection with the matter, ANI reported.
On Sunday, as the police investigated Fadnavis, BJP workers protested in Pune, Pandharpur, Nagpur, Chandrapur and Sangli.
BJP MLA Ashish Shelar claimed that Fadnavis was being targeted by the Maharashtra government for highlighting corruption in the case. “But, the Maharashtra government is somewhere trying to use pressure tactics on the opponents,” he said.
Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray said that the state government was not using agencies against opponents like the BJP-led government at the Centre does, PTI reported.
“We just take forward the legal process,” he said. “I don’t want to comment more about it.”
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!