Mumbai: Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh alleged Thursday that the previous Devendra Fadnavis dispensation misused government machinery to tap the phones of opposition leaders, and an inquiry has been ordered in this regard.
Talking to reporters here, Deshmukh said the cyber cell of the Maharashtra police department has been directed to look into the complaints of phone-tapping and snooping of leaders who were then in the opposition.
Deshmukh also informed that the government is also trying to find those officers, who had been reportedly sent to Israel to study the snooping software then.
“The cyber cell of Maharashtra Police has been asked to look into the various complaints of snooping/phone tapping that came in during the previous government. The inquiry is being done following complaints of snooping on opposition leaders, especially during the formation of (Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi) government,” Deshmukh said.
“There is no doubt that the previous dispensation has misused the government machinery to tap of phones of leaders from other political parties,” asserted Deshmukh.
“There were reports that some officers were sent to Israel to study the snooping software. We are finding out who had gone to Israel and whether there was any official engagement,” added the minister.
When asked about the police deployment for the ‘Mumbai 24 hours’ policy allowing malls, multiplexes and shops to remain open round-the-clock in the city from January 27, Deshmukh said the city police commissioner is preparing a proposal for additional deployment required.
“The decision will be taken accordingly. Locations in nine residential areas are being identified, where shops and eateries in malls and mill compounds are likely to be open. If private establishments require police security, they will have to pay for it,” Deshmukh informed.