Shukla herself may have leaked letter on `transfer scam' Maha chief secy

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    Mumbai, Mar 25 (PTI) IPS officer Rashmi Shukla herself
may have leaked' her confidential letter on alleged<br>corruption in transfers in the Maharashtra police department,<br>state chief secretary Sitaram Kunte has said in hisfact-
finding' report.
    Kunte had been asked to submit a report by Chief
Minister Uddhav Thackeray after BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis
alleged that the state government suppressed Shukla's letter
or report, based on phone intercepts, on a `transfer scam'.
    "Despite stamping the letter as TOP SECRET, Rashmi
Shukla seems to have leaked the letter, which is very serious
matter. If it is proved, she will be liable for strictest
action against her," Kunte's report, which was made public,
said.
    "She had intercepted the phone calls and exposing
these names also threatened the privacy of the officials,"
Kunte said.
    The transfers mentioned in Shukla's letter, however,
did not actually take place, and "there is no misdeed in
transfers as well," said the chief secretary.
    Referring to speculation about more data in a pen
drive, Kunte said there was no accompanying pen drive when
Shukla sent her letter to the state government.
    "Prima facie, it appears that the letter has been
leaked by Shukla herself," Kunte said.
    He also claimed that Shukla had sought permission to
tap some phone calls saying it was needed "in the interest of
public safety", but she misled the state government.
    NCP leader Jitendra Awhad had on Wednesday alleged
that Shukla, then Commissioner of Intelligence, sought
permission for intercepting the calls of certain persons, but
actually the calls of some other persons were tapped. PTI ND
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(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)