The Hindu : Opposition seeks Bhujbal's dismissal

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Nov 11, 2003

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Opposition seeks Bhujbal's dismissal

By Mahesh Vijapurkar

MUMBAI NOV. 10. Opposition parties in Maharashtra have urged the Governor, Mohd. Fazal, to have the Deputy Chief Minister, Chhagan Bhujbal, dismissed for his "total failure" in ensuring a proper investigation into the multi-crore fake stamp scam.

The High Court-appointed former police official, S.S. Puri, had continued questioning police officials on their role in the probe into the scam, till the court got involved in its monitoring.

The Opposition leaders told the media that they had also sought Mr. Bhujbal's arrest.

Mr. Bhujbal, however, made light of the Opposition charge saying it was a "routine allegation'', but sought a meeting with the Governor to put across his case for an objective leadership in the conduct of the probe. The moment the High Court began monitoring the probe after a public interest litigation by Anna Hazare, the Government had stopped seeking details from the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and now only gave it the assistance sought, he said.

The Opposition charge comes as the deadline ended for the Karnataka Police to submit the 56 tapes of some 1300 recorded conversations the alleged scamster, Abdul Karim Telgi, had with several police officials and, possibly, politicians as well from the jail where he is incarcerated in Karnataka.

Today, the SIT called in Ramakant Padwal, Assistant Commissioner of Police, who had worked earlier under the supervision of Sridhar Vagal, an IPS official of the rank of IGP and now arrested under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act.

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Opposition seeks Bhujbal's dismissal