The Esplanade Magistrate Court in Mumbai has sanctioned the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) closure report concerning a case related to the leakage of confidential documents. The origins of the case can be traced back to a press conference held by Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, in 2021.
During this press conference, Fadnavis, who served as a witness in the case, presented a letter purportedly written by IPS officer Rashmi Shukla. This letter contained alleged details about corruption suspicions in police department transfers and intercepted telephone conversations. The situation triggered a controversy as leaders from the ruling coalition led by Shiv Sena claimed that their phones had been unlawfully tapped. Fadnavis announced his intent to hand over the documents and a pen drive containing call recording data to the Union Home Secretary.
Subsequently, investigators sought court permission to access the documents and pen drive, but their efforts were unsuccessful. The case was transferred from the Mumbai Police to the CBI when a new government, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde with Fadnavis as Deputy, assumed office in June 2022. Ultimately, the CBI submitted a closure report, and the State Intelligence Department (SID), the complainant in the case, raised no objections to concluding the investigation.
On Monday, the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate at the Esplanade court, SP Shinde, endorsed the closure report with the notation “A summary is granted.” An “A summary” categorization indicates that the case is deemed true but undetected by the magistrate. The comprehensive order will be accessible at a later time
