Pune, Jan 12: Deputy Commissioner of police Pradeep Sawant, arrested for allegedly shielding Abdul Karim Telgi, prime accused in the multi-crore fake stamp paper scam, was today remanded to magisterial custody till January 27. Sawant was produced in the court of judicial magistrate M N Bondre on expiry of his police custody.
Sawant, who spearheaded the 'encounter squad' of Mumbai Police, was arrested in Mumbai under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) on January 7.
He is accused of going soft on Telgi when the latter was in the custody of Mumbai Police during November 2002 to January 2003 for 85 days. Sawant was the Deputy Commissioner of Crime branch then. According to the SIT, the Telgi tapes received from the Karnataka government contained some references of Sawant.
Bureau Report