Election Commission Transfers Maharashtra Top Cop Rashmi Shukla After Phone Tapping Allegations
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has ordered the transfer of Rashmi Shulka, Maharashtra DGP, after the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alleged phone tapping. The transfer has been ordered with immediate effect with directions to Chief Secretary of the state to hand over her charge to the next senior most IPS officer in the cadre.
As the state is all set for Assembly polls in weeks, the election body has also directed the Chief Secretary to send a panel of three IPS officers by 05.11.2024 (1 pm) for appointment as DGP Maharashtra.
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Earlier, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had warned officials during review meetings and the announcement of assembly elections in the state to be impartial and fair, and to be perceived as non-partisan in the conduct.
On October 31, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole wrote to Rajiv Kumar, urging the removal of Shukla from the post. In the letter, Patole criticise DGP of exhibiting a “clear bias” against opposition parties including Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (Sharad Pawar).
“Over the past 20 days, political violence against opposition parties has significantly escalated, with a notable deterioration in the law and order situation. She has shown a clear bias against the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP(SP), as evidenced by her previous record of illegal phone tapping of opposition leaders while serving as Commissioner of Police, Pune, and Commissioner of the State Intelligence Department (SID),” the NDTV reports, as mentioned in the letter.
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Rashmi Shukla is a 1988-batch IPS officer. She took charge as the 48th DGP of Maharashtra in January this year. She is the first woman to become Maharashtra’s police chief. Shukla served as director general of Sashstra Seema Bal before.
The 288 Assembly seats in Maharashtra will go to polls on November 20 and counting of votes will take place on November 23.
