Mumbai, Apr 30: Hearing a Public Interest Litigation, Mumbai High Court today directed Maharashtra government to file an affidavit by June 18 enumerating the progress of investigations into the multi-crore stamp paper racket, involving prime accused Abdul Karin Telgi. The PIL, filed by advocate Abhay Premshanker Pande, urged for a CBI probe into the racket as senior police officers had allegedly bungled up the case by levelling allegations and counter allegations at each other. Opposing the PIL, counsel for the state government Raja Thakre informed that special investigating team was formed in November 2002 and sanction to conduct investigations was obtained under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). The investigations had come to an end and chargesheet already been filed in this case, he said.
Additional Solicitor General S B Jaisinghani argued that investigations were already over in this case and nothing more remained to be probed. There was no scope for CBI to investigate as chargesheet had been filed.

He argued that CBI could not probe unless the state government asked the agency to investigate. Besides, CBI was already overburdened with investigations into several other cases, he pointed out.
The PIL alleged that several pitfalls in investigations had come to light and the government had taken action against erring police officers. Thus, he contended, the probe had been conducted in a haphazard manner.
Bureau Report