Maharashtra govt submits documents to CBI for probe against Anil Deshmukh

Maharashtra Government on Tuesday handed over the documents to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) related to Senior IPS officer Rashmi Shukla on alleged corruption in police transfers and posting, for its probe against Maharashtra former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.

Sources have informed that the state government has handed over the certified copies to the agency, including digital evidence, annexures of the report, panchnama, and the letter written by Rashmi Shukla to Maharashtra’s Director General of Police, then submitted to Maharashtra Government on the issue of corruption in police transfers and postings. The evidence also shows how the documents had been transferred from one department to another.

During the last hearing, when Bombay High Court was hearing an application filed by the CBI, it claimed that the state government was not cooperating by refusing to hand over certain documents which the agency requires for its investigation against Former Minister Anil Deshmukh over alleged corruption and misuse of official position, Maharashtra government agreed to share a report submitted by IPS officer Rashmi Shukla.

Appearing for the state government Rafique Dada told the court that the documents would be handed over to the CBI before August 31.  The CBI in its application filed last month said it had written a letter to the State Intelligence Department (SID) seeking details of a communication sent by Rashmi Shukla on the issue of corruption in police transfers and postings. However, the SID refused to provide them claiming it was part of an ongoing investigation.

Later, the CBI filed an application before the Bombay HC seeking directions to the state government to cooperate and share the documents related to their ongoing probe against Anil Deshmukh. The HC bench took on record the statement filed by the government on sharing of the report by August 31 and posted the matter for further hearing on September 2. Meanwhile, the Bombay HC has extended protection to IPS officer Rashmi Shukla for allegedly leaking confidential data on police transfers till September 13.