Maharashtra Govt Agrees To Share With CBI 'Confidential' Report Of Rashmi Shukla IPS For Anil Deshmukh Case Probe

Ending months of impasse, the Maharashtra Government has agreed to share its "confidential" report on alleged corruption in police transfers and postings for the CBI's probe against former state home minister Anil Deshmukh. A division bench of Justices SS Shinde and NJ Jamadar recorded Senior Advocate Rafique Dada's statement that former State Intelligence Department head, Rashmi Shukla's letter, report, along with the phone interceptions will be shared by August 30.On Tuesday, Dada had said that the State will resolve the issue with CBI.Taking note of today's developments, Justice Shinde commented : "We heard a matter yesterday, we asked the counsels to restrict arguments to the law points, but some able counsel's advice is required so that the development of the state can go on. The state of Maharashtra is a pioneer in many things, not just now but since Independence. Therefore the glory of the state, its reputation of a congenial atmosphere...all that can be saved," the judge said. Justice Shinde added that such matters should ideally not reach the court. "See, the state and CBI.. these matters should not come to the court. On a lot of occasions, the State and CBI share documents. It is a collective responsibility of all the stakeholders to ensure that the directions issued in earlier and later rounds of litigation are followed." Dada responded that the highest functionary of the State (Chief Minister) was in favour of transparency. The documents are shared on the condition that they will be used only in connection with transfers and postings connected to Anil Deshmukh. The State has refused to share the panchnamas under which the digital devices and documents were seized. The CBI had also sought to know the number of copies of Shukla's report which were made and sent to FSL by the State. That has also been refused.The matter will now be heard on September 2. The court was hearing CBI's application against the State's non-cooperation in handing over certain documents in their ongoing investigation against former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh. On Friday, the bench had expressed displeasure at the State's refusal to share the report and asked them to reconsider documents they would be willing to give. CBI's plea states that it had written a letter to the State Intelligence Department (SID) seeking details of Shukla's communication, but it was refused on the grounds that the document was part of an ongoing investigation and not relevant to the ongoing probe. The CBI had registered an FIR on April 21, following Bombay HC's orders to conduct a Preliminary Enquiry into the Rs. 100 crore corruption allegations levelled by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh in his letter to the Chief Minister on March 20, 2021.

Maharashtra Govt Agrees To Share With CBI 'Confidential' Report Of Rashmi Shukla IPS For Anil Deshmukh Case Probe

Sharmeen Hakim

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