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Telgi`s links with VIPs bared, court says no to CBI for probe
Mumbai, Nov 27: In a new twist to the multi-crore fake stamp paper probe, Maharashtra government and the indicted police official R S Sharma today claimed that `prominent persons`, including some ministers, had figured in investigations revealing links with prime accused Abdul Karim Telgi even as Mumbai High Court declined to hand over the case to CBI for the time being.
Mumbai, Nov 27: In a new twist to the multi-crore fake stamp paper probe, Maharashtra government and the indicted police official R S Sharma today claimed that "prominent persons", including some ministers, had figured in investigations revealing links with prime accused Abdul Karim Telgi even as Mumbai High Court declined to hand over the case to CBI for the time being.
Chief Justice C K Thakker and Justice Abhay Oka said that at this stage, the court was not inclined to grant CBI its request to probe the case and directed Special Investigating Team (SIT) to cooperate with the central agency if it needed any information regarding the scam.
Making submissions before the court, advocate general Goolam Vahanvati said the sit has heard 720 telephonic conversations between Telgi and others recorded by Karnataka government when the accused was in jail.
In these talks, the names of prominent persons figured, he said and tabled a status report before the court urging that it should not be made public as probe was under way.
During the course of hearing, V R Manohar, counsel for Sharma, alleged that a diary seized from Telgi has names of 19 ministers and cops. However, sit had failed to proceed against them, he said. Additional Solicitor General Sirish Gupte said that CBI was prepared to take over the probe if the court so desired. He said CBI's earlier stand not to take up the case as it was verburdened was apparently a 'human error' by his predecessor S B Jaisinghani.
Advocate General Goolam Vahanvati, however, read out an affidavit filed in July by home secretary U K Mukhopadhya who had attended a meeting in New Delhi where it was decided that CBI would not take up the fake stamp paper probe in Maharashtra as it was overburdened and the union home ministry would form a committee to coordinate between CBI and SIT.
Vahanvati assured the court that the Maharastra government had not interfered in the probe conducted by SIT whose chief S S Puri was appointed by the Mumbai High Court which was closely monitoring the case. He, however, left it to the discretion of the court to transfer the probe to CBI.
Sharma's counsel, V R Manohar, justifying transfer of probe to CBI, said section three of the Indian Police Act said the state police would be under the superintendence of the state government. "This fact has not been considered at all. Puri does not cease to be governed by this section although he had been appointed by the high court," the counsel argued. Vahanvati also submitted a report of the state government on action taken against Sharma for his alleged role in shielding Telgi.
The Advocate General informed the court that Sharma had been chargesheeted in pursuance to a departmental inquiry and a copy of the charges served on him. In case he disputed the charges, an inquiry officer would be appointed to probe the allegations, Vahanvati submitted.
Bureau Report
Making submissions before the court, advocate general Goolam Vahanvati said the sit has heard 720 telephonic conversations between Telgi and others recorded by Karnataka government when the accused was in jail.
In these talks, the names of prominent persons figured, he said and tabled a status report before the court urging that it should not be made public as probe was under way.
During the course of hearing, V R Manohar, counsel for Sharma, alleged that a diary seized from Telgi has names of 19 ministers and cops. However, sit had failed to proceed against them, he said. Additional Solicitor General Sirish Gupte said that CBI was prepared to take over the probe if the court so desired. He said CBI's earlier stand not to take up the case as it was verburdened was apparently a 'human error' by his predecessor S B Jaisinghani.
Advocate General Goolam Vahanvati, however, read out an affidavit filed in July by home secretary U K Mukhopadhya who had attended a meeting in New Delhi where it was decided that CBI would not take up the fake stamp paper probe in Maharashtra as it was overburdened and the union home ministry would form a committee to coordinate between CBI and SIT.
Vahanvati assured the court that the Maharastra government had not interfered in the probe conducted by SIT whose chief S S Puri was appointed by the Mumbai High Court which was closely monitoring the case. He, however, left it to the discretion of the court to transfer the probe to CBI.
Sharma's counsel, V R Manohar, justifying transfer of probe to CBI, said section three of the Indian Police Act said the state police would be under the superintendence of the state government. "This fact has not been considered at all. Puri does not cease to be governed by this section although he had been appointed by the high court," the counsel argued. Vahanvati also submitted a report of the state government on action taken against Sharma for his alleged role in shielding Telgi.
The Advocate General informed the court that Sharma had been chargesheeted in pursuance to a departmental inquiry and a copy of the charges served on him. In case he disputed the charges, an inquiry officer would be appointed to probe the allegations, Vahanvati submitted.
Bureau Report