4 Mumbai cops suspended for waiting on stamp scam kingpin

The scene was witnessed by Deputy Inspector General Subodh Jaiswal and Additional Director General of Police (Karnataka) R. Sri Kumar who had decided to pay Telgi’s sealed flat a visit as part of the investigations.

The senior officers have reportedly said that Telgi should have been treated as an accused and not given special treatment. A note to this effect has been sent to the government for perusal.

Telgi’s ground floor flat at Meena Manor in Cuffe Parade was sealed by investigating agencies on November 2002. It is being alleged that the Crime Branch team broke into the flat by removing the seal without prior permission of competent agencies.

Mumbai Commissioner of Police Ranjit Singh Sharma said an inquiry has been initiated against the four policemen. Deputy Commissioner of police (Crime) Pradip Sawant is expected to submit a report in the next three weeks, added Sharma.

However, senior police officials defended the suspended policemen saying Telgi was taken to his flat in the morning to conduct further inquiries into the scam. He was escorted back to the lock-up in the evening, they said.

‘‘There is nothing unusual if an accused is served biscuits and tea. Particularly when the prisoner is a diabetic and has to be given food at regular intervals under orders from a court,’’ a senior police officer pointed out.

Earlier, the crime branch had sought Telgi’s remand in connection with the murder of one of his business associates from Karnataka — Christopher — in 2000. Telgi, after being double-crossed was suspected to have hacked him to death in the same Cuffe Parade flat. The body was dumped in the creek off Dharavi.

Even as the two senior officers levelled serious charges against the four policemen, investigators have not been able to make any significant breakthrough in the case in the past few months.

Officials have failed to expose Telgi’s links with some ministers in Maharashtra and Karnataka. They have yet to uncover his network and involvement of senior police officials in the scam.

The investigation team is yet to arrest the mastermind, a businessman from Kolkata. The second and third layer of operatives are still at large.

Agencies have still not formed a complete assessment of loss to the state exchequer, which could be over Rs 25,000 crore across the country.