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Fake stamp paper scam probe at `crucial stage'

By Vinay Kumar

NEW DELHI, AUG. 8 . Four months after taking over the probe in 48 cases relating to the fake stamp paper scam on the directive of the Supreme Court, the Central Bureau of Investigation says that investigations into the racket allegedly led by the prime accused in the case, Abdul Karim Telgi, are at a "crucial stage."

As the agency's officials from the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) dig deeper into the scam, they are reportedly coming across "glaring lapses" in police investigations into the fake stamp cases in several States. "At times, cases were not registered and even if it was done, some insignificant person... was chargesheeted. We believe this was also part of his [Telgi] modus operandi,'' well-placed sources in the agency said. The CBI probe into the fake stamp paper scam is spread over 12 States.

After recently questioning the personal assistant of the former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, Chhagan Bhujbal, the CBI may turn the spotlight on the senior politician himself as his alleged links in a separate oil adulteration case are also coming under the CBI scanner.

`Too glaring'

Senior officials say that at times the police investigation in some of the States was so "blatantly and mischievously subverted" that it naturally attracted the attention during the probe. In some instances, the CBI found that a "go slow" attitude and "shoddy job" in probing the fake stamp paper cases were too glaring to be ignored.

On Friday, the CBI got the nod from a Pune Court to question the former Mumbai Police Commissioner, R.S. Sharma, and the former Deputy Commissioner of Police, Pradeep Sawant, in Yerwada Central jail, Pune. The two top police officials of Maharashtra were arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the State earlier while probing the fake stamp paper cases, sending shockwaves among the police establishment.

Arrested

In Tamil Nadu, two senior police officials DIG Mohammed Ali and a Deputy Superintendent of Police, S. Sankar, and an LIC officer, Ramaswami Sadhu, were arrested by the CBI in connection with the fake stamp paper case last month. Sources said that Telgi used to offer attractive discounts on bulk purchase.

Sources in the CBI said that the agency had also managed to trace nearly a dozen absconders, including some of the conduits of Telgi who had helped him in gaining a foothold in the political establishment.

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