Not very long ago, she enjoyed “plum postings” under the Devendra Fadnavis government but was relegated to the sidelines during the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) tenure.
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Who is Rashmi Shukla?
A 1988-batch IPS officer, Shukla has over the past five years seen more twists and turns than most officers do in their entire career. Seen as Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s blue-eyed officer, she earlier served as the Pune police commissioner and then State Intelligence Department (SID) Commissioner, a post seen as reserved for officers considered close to those in power.
Shukla was sidelined during the MVA government tenure, eventually moved out and became the head of the Sashastra Seema Bal. After the BJP returned to power in alliance with the Eknath Shinde Shiv Sena, Fadnavis put in every effort to bring her back to the state.
The Opposition is up in arms over Shukla’s appointment as DGP, and has urged Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to cancel it. NCP (Sharad Pawar) spokesperson Vidya Chavan termed Shukla’s appointment violative of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) norms. “IPS officers who have over six months of service left are considered for the DGP’s post. However, Shukla will retire in five months and her appointment is bad by law,” Chavan said.
The Opposition has also alleged that the ruling alliance has appointed her keeping in view the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the state.
Why did the MVA move Shukla out?
After coming to power, the MVA sidelined several officials perceived as close to the previous Fadnavis-led dispensation, including Shukla. During the shuffle, Shukla was also shifted from the SID to civil defence – seen as a non-executive posting. Several officers, including Shukla, also found central deputation during this time. She was posted as Additional Director-General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
What were the allegations and FIRs faced by Shukla?
Following her departure from Maharashtra, two FIRs – one each in Pune and Mumbai – were registered against her in February and March of 2022 for allegedly tapping phones of Opposition leaders like Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, the NCP’s Eknath Khadse and state Congress chief Nana Patole, during the Fadnavis government’s tenure.
A Mumbai Police team recorded her statement in Hyderabad in connection with the case, following which Shukla moved court. The police then registered another FIR, in which Shukla was not named as an accused.
What is the status of the cases?
In September last year, the Bombay High Court quashed two of the three FIRs registered against her. After the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government came to power, the third case was transferred to the CBI. Later, this case too was closed after the court allowed the CBI’s closure report, paving the way for her return to the state.
What happened after the MVA government fell and the BJP returned to the saddle?
After the Eknath Shinde-led rebellion in June 2022, which led to a split in the Shiv Sena and the subsequent fall of the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government, speculations were rife that those officers who suffered due to their proximity to Fadnavis would be brought back and “adequately compensated”.
There was a buzz that Shukla would be brought back to the state and “rewarded with a good posting” with some predicting that she may be made the Mumbai police commissioner – the most sought after post in the state.
Though she was reportedly keen on the Mumbai commissioner’s post, the government was more inclined towards her becoming the DGP. After long deliberations, which included BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar congratulating her in October 2023 for becoming the DGP, the state government officially appointed her as the state’s top cop on Thursday.
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