Mumbai office under scanner

A senior Revenue Department official said SIT has also asked for the number of cases filed by the Mumbai Stamp Office, on whose recommendations the licences were issued and the procedure adopted for issuing the licences. The official confirmed that most of the licences were issued at the behest of corporators, legislators, MPs and Cabinet members.

The stamp vendor licence to Abdul Karim Telgi, the main accused in the scam, was issued by the Mumbai Stamp Office in 1994 on the recommendation of Anil Gote, now in judicial custody.

The government is thinking of issuing a ban on new licences and also review the status of all the 4,579 stamp vendor licences issued so far. 8216;8216;The proposal is pending before the government and a decision is likely to be taken during the Winter Session of the State Legislature,8217;8217; the official said.