His salary Rs 9,000, his assets Rs 100 cr

Imagine the life of an ordinary assistant police inspector who earns Rs 9,000 a month in an expensive city like Mumbai. The familiar stories...

Imagine the life of an ordinary assistant police inspector who earns Rs 9,000 a month in an expensive city like Mumbai. The familiar stories are of life in claustrophobic quarters, crowded suburban trains and endless hours of stress.

But Dilip Pandurang Kamath is no ordinary assistant police inspector.

Investigations by the Special Investigating Team (SIT) probing the stamp scam have found that Kamath owned properties worth more than Rs 100 crore. He was arrested on June 13 and later charged under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). Kamath also allegedly accepted Rs 72 lakh from the scam kingpin, Abdul Karim Telgi, on behalf of IGP Sridhar Vagal who was arrested last week.

	Karnataka hands over Telgi tapes

			MUMBAI: In keeping with a judicial directive, the Karnataka government has forwarded to Maharashtra 56 audio tapes of the 1,300 telephonic talks between the prime accused in the stamp paper scam, Abdul Karim Telgi, and others. The order was given by a bench headed by Chief Justice C.K. Thakker. Story continues below this ad

Right after Kamath’s arrest, the SIT sealed three posh hotels — all benami properties allegedly owned by Kamath — at Lonavala, Goa and Panchgani.

According to the SIT, as far back as 1996-1997, when Telgi was in Bangalore jail, Kamath and arrested Senior Police Inspector (Airport Crime unit) Vashist Andale were in touch with him. Records maintained by Bangalore jail authorities indicate that in 2000-2001, Andale and Kamath visited Telgi regularly. They helped Telgi talk to senior police officers and even a minister, says a source in the SIT. Practically, any policeman who ever investigated Telgi has met the duo — they’d promptly arrive and play mediator.

SIT sources say the seizure of fake stamp paper worth Rs 837 crore by Mumbai police at Bhiwandi in January this year was sheer providence.

Kamath, in connivance with his seniors, was allegedly planning to sell the counterfeit stamp paper. But a police officer tipped off the SIT as well as the Bangalore police.

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When the SIT arrived at Telgi’s plush Cuffe Parade home on January 9, they found the kingpin having tea, a clutch of policemen waiting on him.

Telgi was supposed to be in police custody, for interrogation in the case of his driver’s murder. Four policemen were suspended a few days later, including Kamath.

The SIT is also investigating why the twice-suspended Assistant Police Inspector — Kamath was once earlier suspended for selling a stolen car seized by the police — continued to work at the Crime Branch (Dharavi Unit) more than two years after he was transferred to the RCF-Chembur police station in June 2001.

The SIT has already questioned Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Pradip Sawant — his immediate boss — on why Kamath was allowed to work at the Crime Branch for so long after his transfer.

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Kamath was relieved only 10 days after his arrest. DCP Sawant says the decision to let Kamath stay on was made by the then Joint Commissioner of Police in charge of the Crime Branch.

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