Phones of Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut and NCP leader Eknath Khadse were tapped on the pretext of them being anti-social elements, Mumbai Police said. A letter from the State Intelligence Service revealed. The letter, written to the Home Secretary seeking permission for phone tapping, contained the phone numbers of Sanjay Raut and Eknath Khadse. However, it is learned that anti-social elements were mentioned in front of his name. In this case, Eknath Khadse's phone was tapped for 67 days, while Sanjay Raut's phone was tapped for 60 days. The phones of these leaders were tapped before the Mahavikas Aghadi government was formed in the state.
According to police sources, the first time Sanjay Raut's phone was tapped for seven days on an emergency basis and the second time the phone was tapped for 60 days with the permission of ACS Home. Kumar had said in his reply that he was in the process of requesting for phone tapping in the form. Sources said that the request was made by SID under false name so that no one would know that Eknath Khadse or Sanjay Raut's phone was being tapped.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Police has twice recorded the statements of IPS officer Rashmi Shukla and Eknath Khadse, Sanjay Raut as a witness.
NCP leader Eknath Khadse's phone was allegedly tapped twice in 2019 when he was with the BJP. My phone was tapped during the election period, when I was in the BJP. I had an idea of tapping the phone of the opposition, but I was saddened by who did the vile thing of tapping their own leader's phone, said NCP leader Eknath Khadse. "Every time I was in BJP, there were rivals in the party. I suspect those who thought they were tapping my phone," he said. I urge the matter to be investigated. Khadse also said that he had given a written letter to the Chief Secretary and Home Secretary not only during the election period but also before that my phone was tapped.