Phone-Tapping Scam: BJP Leader Devendra Fadnavis in Maharashtra Assembly, Says ‘Not Scared of Jail’

Mumbai, March 14: A day after Mumbai Police recorded his statement at home regarding the phone-tapping scam, Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said he was not afraid of jail. Hitting out at the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in the Maharashtra assembly, Fadnavis recalled how his father had spent two years in prison without any charges during the Emergency.

"I am not scared of jail. I will continue to expose the corruption," declared Fadnavis who was quizzed by a Mumbai Cyber Police team for two hours at his residence on Sunday. Nawab Malik Drops Another Bomb, Says Devendra Fadnavis Has Links With Dawood Ibrahim’s Aide Riyaz Bhati.

The police team questioned him on the probe into the alleged illegal tapping of telephones of prominent personalities and leakage of confidential information pertaining to alleged corrupt practices in police department transfers/promotions that erupted last year.

Speaking on the issue, Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil said that there is no immunity in criminal cases and Fadnavis had been duly served notices in the routine course.

"The notice under CrPC Section 160 was sent to Fadnavis, not as an accused, but to record his statement. It's a routine exercise and not done deliberately," Walse-Patil said.

The police have filed an FIR in the unauthorised phone tapping case and statements of 24 others have already been recorded, he added. Walse-Patil said that the police have asked the Union Home Secretary to share a copy of the pen-drive given by Fadnavis pertaining to the alleged irregularities and graft in police transfers/promotions.

BJP Member Sudhir Mungantiwar, who raised the matter, said MLAs are given protection by privilege and cannot share their sources, and even the Supreme Court has upheld this.

Fadnavis said that when he was sent the questionnaire recently, the questions asked then were meant for an 'eyewitness account', but the questioning at his home on Sunday (March 13) was for an accused, and said he knew "who changed the questions and why". He pointed out that he enjoyed protection as a whistle-blower under the Act and would continue to expose corruption in the government.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 14, 2022 07:09 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).