The Bombay High Court on Saturday extended protection to IPS officer Rashmi Shukla for allegedly leaking confidential data on police transfers till September 13.
A Division Bench of Justices S.S. Shinde and N.J. Jamadar was hearing a criminal petition filed by Ms. Shukla seeking to quash the FIR against her that charges her with sections of the Indian Telegraph Act and the Officials Secrets Act. The FIR filed by an unidentified person has booked Ms. Shukla for leaking confidential documents related to corruption in police transfers in Maharashtra.
Senior advocate Darius Khambata, appearing for Maharashtra government, said the petition seeks to quash an FIR. This FIR pertains to data theft and leakage. The court directed the State to file its reply and adjourned the matter.
The case dates back to March, when Leader of the Opposition Devendra Fadnavis cited a letter allegedly written by Ms. Shukla to the then Maharashtra Director General of Police Subodh Jaiswal about alleged corruption in police transfers. The letter is believed to have relied upon leaked conversations by Ms. Shukla.
Soon thereafter, Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte in a report to the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray alleged that Ms. Shukla had leaked the confidential report to Mr. Fadnavis, which led to the FIR.
