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Mumbai Police records statement of Devendra Fadnavis in transfer-posting case

Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil on Sunday said the Opposition is doing politics on this matter.

A team of Mumbai Cyber Police on Sunday recorded the statement of former Maharashtra Chief Minister and leader of Opposition in state Assembly Devendra Fadnavis in connection with the transfer posting case.

Speaking to the media Fadnavis said, “A police team recorded my statement in the transfer, posting case. I answered all questions. Maharashtra government had been brushing aside the case for the past six months. I am a whistleblower of this case.”

Fadnavis was questioned for two hours in the case on Sunday by the Mumbai police.

Cyber cell’s ACP Nitin Jadhav and two other officers went to Fadnavis’ house to record his statement. DCP Hemraj Singh Rajput and ACP Nitin Jadhav arrived.

All BJP leaders were present at Fadnavis’s house.

“I have submitted the documents regarding the state’s transfer case to Union Home Secretary. I haven’t shared the documents with the media”, added Fadnavis.

The police tightened security outside the residence of the BJP leader.

Earlier, Fadnavis on Saturday said he had received a notice in which the Mumbai Police summoned him on Sunday in connection with the case. On Thursday, Fadnavis slammed the Maharashtra government, alleging that it had been brushing aside the case for the past six months.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, Fadnavis said, “Mumbai Police has sent me a notice under Sec 160 CrPC, asking me to appear before them at BKC Cyber Police Station at 11 am tomorrow. I will go there and record my statement.”

“As a leader of Opposition, I have the privilege to not reveal from where I got the information. When I was Home Minister, now I understand my responsibility. If an offence was falsely registered and the police want some help, I will respond. So, I will go to the Police Station tomorrow,” said Devendra Fadnavis. The BJP leader alleged that the state government was attempting to protect the scamsters involved in the case. This government is associated with Dawood”, Fadnavis added.

Amid the row over the transfer-posting case, Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil on Sunday said the Opposition is doing politics on this matter.

“Opposition is doing politics on this case. Till now, 5-6 notices have been sent to Devendra Fadnavis. A case has been registered against five unknown persons. Statements of 24 people have been recorded so far and more will be recorded in the future,” Patil told mediapersons. “Devendra Fadnavis was not summoned but was sent a set of questions to answer. Today, a police team went to his residence as he did not answer those questions sent to him regarding the case,” he added.

On February 26 this year, Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil claimed that former Pune Police Commissioner Rashmi Shukla had tapped phones of political leaders like Nana Patole, Bachchu Kadu, Sanjay Kakade and Ashish Deshmukh.

In March 2021, Fadnavis raised questions about the transfer posting of the police department during a press conference. On the same day, Fadnavis met the Union Home Secretary of the Central Government and handed over some secret documents related to police transfer to the Union Home Secretary.

At present, the CBI is investigating this case. So far, former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and former Mumbai Police Commissioner Paramvir Singh have been questioned in this case.

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