Devendra Fadnavis Gives Statement to Mumbai Police in Phone-Tapping Case

Claiming to be a whistle-blower, he said the Maharashtra government had been pushing the case aside for months.

A team of the BKC cyber police reached BJP leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's residence to record his statement related to the illegal phone tapping case.

(File Photo)

A team of the BKC cyber police reached Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' residence to record his statement related to the illegal phone tapping case.

Heavy security was deployed outside his house.

Fadnavis told reporters that the police team recorded his statement regarding the case and that he had answered all questions, according to ANI.

He further claimed that the Maharashtra government had been pushing the case aside for the past six months, the case in which he claims to be a whistle-blower.

Before the statement was recorded, the Mumbai cyber police had issued a notice to Fadnavis, asking him for an appearance on Sunday with respect to the case.

Fadnavis, however, claimed on Saturday that a senior police officer had informed him that he need not go to the police station and a team will reach his residence instead.

On the other hand, Maharashtra minister Dilip Walse-Patil stated that Fadnavis was not summoned in the first place but was sent a set of questions to answer, according to ANI.

Since he did not answer those questions sent to him regarding the case, the police went to his residence.

"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's statements recorded till now and more will be recorded in the future," Patil said, as quoted by ANI.

Fadnavis, while addressing the media in March 2021, had raked up a controversy by claiming that he had proof of a cash-for-transfer scam that involved police officers and politicians like state Congress chief Nana Patole, minister Bachchu Kadu, former MLA Ashish Deshmukh, and former MP Sanjay Kakade, among others.

The former CM even deposited exhibits like a pen drive and copies of a report submitted to then state commissioner of Intelligence Rashmi Shukla. He also sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe for the same.

In response to the allegations, Mumbai Police had registered a case against unidentified persons after a complaint by the State Intelligence Department, for alleged illegal tapping of phones and for leaking confidential documents.

Two weeks ago, however, Home Minister Walse-Patil alleged that a high-level probe had led to a discovery that implicated IPS officer Rashmi Shukla in the phone tapping scandal.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI.)