Upping the ante over the extension in service given to Rashmi Shukla after her retirement as the State Director General of Police (DGP), the Maharashtra Congress on Tuesday wrote to the Election Commission of India (ECI) demanding her immediate removal from the post to ensure a “free, fair and transparent” Maharashtra Assembly polls.
In a letter shot off to the Chief Election Commissioner of the ECI in the run-up to the Maharashtra Assembly polls to be held in November this year, State Congress President Nana Patole flagged the issue of continuance of Rashmi Shukla, a 1988 batch IPS officer, as the State DGP, with the additional charge of Director General in charge of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).
“Rashmi Shukla was due to retire on June 30 2024, upon reaching the age of superannuation.... However, she has been illegally granted an extension until January 2026, in a direct violation of the Maharashtra Police Act, which stipulates that the DGP of the state shall have a term of two years or until their retirement, whichever is earlier,” Patole said.
“In addition to this unlawful extension, Smt. Rashmi Shukla has a history of engaging in illegal activities that raise serious concerns about her impartiality and ability to perform her duties with integrity.
She has been involved in the illegal tapping of opposition leaders' phones without proper authorization, misleading competent authorities in the process,” Patole alleged.
“Despite several cases being registered against her, these cases were shelved following the change of government in Maharashtra, with the BJP coming into power. During her tenure as DGP, she has actively misused her position to harass and threaten opposition leaders, often generating false inquiries and registering baseless cases against them. She has acted as a political campaigner for the BJP, compromising the integrity and non-partisan nature of her role as a senior police officer,” Patole alleged.
“Given the instances of her alleged political bias, misuse of government machinery, and illegal activities, it is impossible to ensure a fair and impartial environment for the upcoming elections in Maharashtra while Rashmi Shukla continues to hold power over the state police....er removal is crucial to safeguard the democratic process and ensure that the forthcoming elections are conducted in a fair, free, and transparent manner,” Patole said.
It may be recalled that Rashmi Shukha had come under rough weather during the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVS) government over the alleged tapping of Opposition leaders’ phones during the Devendra Fadnavis-led government between 2014 and 2019.
