Sanjay Raut, Eknath Khadse`s phones tapped, kept on surveillance for more than 60 days: Report

Mumbai Police has recently recorded the statements of Sanjay Raut and Eknath Khadse as witnesses in the phone tapping case against IPS officer Rashmi Shukla.

Mumbai: Senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut and NCP’s Eknath Khade’s phones were tapped for more than 60 days, it has now come to light. Both Raut and Khadse have recently recorded their statements in connection with the illegal phone tapping case against senior IPS officer Rashmi Shukla.

Mumbai Police had on Sunday recorded Raut’s statement as a witness at the office of Shiv Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamna’ in Central Mumbai. Earlier on Thursday, Mumbai`s Colaba police recorded the statements of senior NCP leader Eknath Khadse and his personal assistant in the phone tapping case for about two hours. 

In this case, Colaba Police has interrogated senior IPS officer Rashmi Shukla twice, calling her to the police station. The Colaba police recently started the investigation by registering a case against Shukla under the Telegraph Act. 

On the complaint of a senior police officer, Colaba police registered a case against Rashmi Shukla in March. Rashmi Shukla had allegedly tapped the phones of NCP leader Khadse and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut and kept them under constant surveillance. The alleged phone tapping happened when Rashmi Shukla was the head of the state`s SID.

Khadse`s phone was allegedly tapped twice in 2019 when he was with the BJP. After he had joined NCP in October 2020, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut`s phone was also tapped in November 2019 during the formation of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

Shukla is presently on central deputation and posted as Additional Director General of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Hyderabad. Pune Police has also registered a case against Rashmi Shukla. During the BJP government, the phones of Congress leaders Nana Patole and Bachu Kad were also allegedly tapped illegally. 

(With ANI Inputs)