Why no action against Maha ministers who disclosed details from IPS officer Rashmi Shukla's confidential report, asks her lawyer

The lawyer of IPS officer Rashmi Shukla told the Bombay High Court on Thursday that Maharashtra ministers Jitendra Awhad and Nawab Malik had disclosed, at a press conference, details from a confidential report on alleged corruption in police transfers.

Why, then, the state government was conducing probe against only Shukla for allegedly leaking the report and not its own ministers, asked senior counsel Mahesh Jethmalani, arguing before a bench of Justices Nitin Jamdar and S V Kotwal.

The Mumbai police's ongoing probe into alleged data theft and leak of confidential documents related to the report was "one-sided," he said. "(Housing minister) Jitendra Awhad had held a press conference and released the Rashmi Shukla report, and (minority affairs minister) Nawab Malik too. Why are they (the state) not prosecuting their own two ministers?" he asked.


Shukla, who once headed Maharashtra's State Intelligence Department and is now posted with the CRPF, has moved the HC challenging an FIR registered by Mumbai Police under the Official Secrets Act over alleged phone tapping and leaking of confidential documents.

The police case was registered against unidentified persons after BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis cited a letter purportedly written by Shukla to the then director general of police regarding the Intelligence Department's probe into 'corruption' in police transfers.

"This is a one-sided investigation. What is the high principle based on which they have filed the FIR?" Jethmalani said. "There is no infringement of the state's interest. What are you doing about persons who have done much more complicit part, what have you done to them?" he asked.

"This selective probe is meant to target an honest officer who exposed not just home minister but others involved," he said. The HC later adjourned the hearing while directing all the parties to submit their written arguments on Friday.