Nishka Srinivas Veluvali –
Published On: December 15, 2021 at 19:30 IST
The Bombay High Court dismissed the Plea filed by the Indian Police Service Officer Rashmi Shukla requesting quashing of the first information report (FIR) registered by the Mumbai Police against the anonymous people for putting out the information consisting the police postings.
The Plea was rejected by the Bench of Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice SV Kotwal who stated that, “Both the prayers for quashing and transfer of investigation are rejected. If the respondent state wishes to take any coercive action, then a clear notice of seven days to be given.”
The Senior Advocate Mahesh Jethmalani representing Rashmi Shukla, argued that by blaming Shukla for the information leak the State Government is trying to protect the present Chief Secretary of Maharashtra.
Senior Advocate Darius Khambata appearing for Mumbai Police informed the Court that the FIR of information leak of police postings does not consist Shukla’s name as an Accused but the Investigation against her will continue as it is, because substantial evidence is found against her.
The IPS officer had advanced to High Court after the FIR filed against her by the Cyber Crime Department, Mumbai under the Official Secrets Act against the anonymous persons over the phone tapping and leaking of confidential reports by Shukla when she was the head of the State Intelligence Department (SID)
The Case against Shukla was filed when she herself had sent a written letter to the then Director General of Police Subodh Jaiswal and a report to the now Chief Minister Uddhav Thackrey about the police transfers and intercepted calls.
In the report the IPS officer mentioned that she had herself leaked the confidential documents and tapped the phone calls following to which a FIR was registered against her.
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