Mumbai, Jan 29: The city sessions court today upheld a lower court order granting bail to four general stamp office personnel arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in connection with the inter-state multi-crore fake stamp paper scam. Dismissing the Maharashtra government's plea challenging the order of a metropolitan magistrate, additional sessions Judge M L Tahliyani held that the state had failed to make out a prima-facie case against two supervisors Ramdas Patole and Subhas Patil and counter clerks Nitin Bhangare and Shirikant Rane to show their alleged involvement in production of counterfeit stamps and stamp papers.

Tahliyani, however, observed that the accused may be part ofthe conspiracy to sell the fake stamps and stamp papers.
Special public prosecutor Pradeep Gharat representing SIT argued that as per Section 437 sub-section (I) of the criminal procedure code, a magistrate did not have the power to grant bail to an accused who had been booked under an act that stipulates life imprisonment.


The accused were booked under sections 255, 257, 258, 299 and 120(b) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) dealing with manufacturing and possession of fake stamps and their sale from an official counter, besides conspiracy.
Bureau Report