HERE’S a classic case of too many cooks spoiling the broth. In June 2002, the Pune police bust the Rs 2,200-crore counterfeit stamp and stamp paper racket. Investigations by top police officials led to several arrests and the naming of Abdul Karim Telgi as the mastermind of the scam. In October, a police team brought Telgi to Pune from a Bangalore jail and he was charged under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act.Notwithstanding the breakthroughs in the investigations, Telgi and his counsel have reason to be happy. Chances are the case itself may fall apart because of the ongoing public spat among senior investigating officials, who accuse each other of corruption and intimidation.On September 3, while ACP (Crime) S M Mushrif, who was heading the Telgi case investigations, was away in Bangalore, Inspector Prakash Deshmukh, one of the investigating officers, filed a chargesheet naming 24 people as accused. Barely a month-and-half later, on October 16, Mushrif submitted a report to Police Commissioner R S Sharma accusing Assistant Commissioner M C Mulani, another investigating officer, and Deshmukh of including three of Telgi’s relatives among the accused despite lack of evidence. Mushrif also accused Mulani and Deshmukh of exonerating five people against whom there was evidence. In turn, Deshmukh filed an application alleging that Mushrif had threatened him with dire consequences. Sharma asked Joint Commissioner M S Maheshgauri to probe the fracas and proceeded on leave.The first reports of the Mushrif-Deshmukh spat appeared in newspapers on October 23. The same day, Mulani submitted an application to Maheshgauri accusing Mushrif of ‘‘disgraceful conduct’’ during the probe, and Mushrif issued a press note demanding an inquiry into the issue. The very next day, DGP Subhash Malhotra met the officers concerned, and on November 2, Mushrif and Deputy Commissioner Kishor Jadhav were moved out ‘‘on their own requests’’, say Deputy CM Chhagan Bhujbal and Malhotra. On Diwali, Mushrif accused Sharma of shielding Mulani and Deshmukh and demanded that he be transferred out. He also threatened to move court against ‘‘false charges levelled . in the chargesheet’’.LIVING ON TELGI TIMEJune 7: Five gang members held, counterfeit stationery worth Rs 53 lakh seized June 8: Raid at Telgi’s Cuffe Parade house leads to recovery of counterfeit stationery worth Rs 2.50 lakh. Five others held June 13-June 16: Counterfeit stationery worth Rs 15,17,87,88,040 seized from a godown in Purna village near Bhivandi September 3: Chargesheet filed against 24 people September 4: Telgi and accomplice Shabbir Shaikh charged under MCOCA. Investigations transferred to Deputy Commissioner Dr Jay Jadhav from Inspector Prakash Deshmukh. September 30: Telgi brought to Pune from Bangalore and remanded to police custodyAs the affair threatened to get murkier, investigations were transferred to a Special Task Force led by State CID chief Addl DGP A K Agarwal.But the damage may have already been done. Several prominent defence lawyers said the mudslinging has affected the prosecution’s case, so much it may lead to the acquittal of the accused.Said Pune-based defence lawyer and law interpreter Bhaskarrao Avhad, ‘‘The police had not completed the investigations when they filed the chargesheet on September 3. This means, those accused will get the benefit of doubt till the investigations are complete. Mushrif’s apprehensions will help the defence lawyer question the credibility of the investigating officer and the evidence. The defence lawyer may even attempt to prove the accused as not guilty by arguing that the prosecution had planted evidence against them.’’But some lawyers feel the prosecution can still make up. Former district government pleader Vijay Savant said, ‘‘The controversy has nothing to do with the case. If the police furnish adequate evidence, the accused will be convicted.’’
