Sharma remanded to police custody till Dec 9

The Centre today said that it has decided to seek a directive from the Supreme Court as to whether the multi-crore fake stamp paper case sho...

The Centre today said that it has decided to seek a directive from the Supreme Court as to whether the multi-crore fake stamp paper case should be investigated by the CBI, even as former Mumbai police commissioner R.S. Sharma, charged with helping the alleged kingpin of the scam Abdul Karim Telgi, was remanded to police custody till December 9.

Amid unprecedented security cover, media glare and cries of ‘‘shame, shame,’’ the senior-most police officer to be arrested in the Telgi scam, Sharma, was produced before court. The 60th accused in the racket was saved the ignominy of spending last night in police lock-up — he was accommodated at the SIT headquarters itself.

	BHUJBALSPEAK

			The Sena-BJP combine is pressing for your resignation… Dy CM: Why should I? When the Sena-BJP alliance was in power, most of the criminal cases registered against Telgi were closed for obvious reasons. After we took over, we appointed SIT and now it has been strengthened further as per the high court directives. Do you regret Sharma’s appointment as CP? I was not the final authority. It was a joint decision taken by me and then CM Vilasrao Deshmukh. Also, when he was chosen, his record was clean. Why was Sharma not transferred when SIT DIG Subodh Jaiswal blamed him? The report was processed by then DGP S.C. Malhotra. Since he as well as the Home department had given a clean chit to Sharma, there was no question of initiating disciplinary proceedings. (ENS)

Sharma’s custody is needed, Special Public Prosecutor Raja Thakare said, ‘‘since it is essential to subject the accused to further interrogation for obtaining knowledge about the extent of political and bureaucratic patronage and the involvement of various political personalities in this crime and their knowledge about the activities of the organised crime syndicate.’’

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Sharma defended himself in a 15-minute-long submission. Branding all charges against him as ‘‘vague and unjustified,’’ he maintained that the controversy was centered around his becoming Police Commissioner of Mumbai. ‘‘My bad luck started since I became CP Mumbai’’ (See box). Earlier, Thakare told the court that SIT would be making more arrests.

Sharma has been charged under Sections 3 (2), 2 (1)(a)(b) and 24 of MCOCA. These mean dereliction of duty in his capacity as Police Commissioner, first in Pune and then in Mumbai. The SPP blamed for his alleged delay in booking the case under MCOCA while he was Pune Police Commissioner, his failure in pursuing cases against Telgi in Mumbai, and for failing to pull out former Pune Crime Branch ACP Mohammed Mulani from the investigations.

In New Delhi, Finance Minister Jaswant Singh said the Centre has decided to seek a Supreme Court directive as to whether the scam should be investigated by the CBI.

	Arrest Mulani and others too: Sharma

			• ‘‘My bad luck started since I became Mumbai CP. I should have been given credit for exposing the scam, instead I have been hounded by one inquiry after the other,’’ former Mumbai and Pune PC Ranjit Singh Sharma told the Judicial Magistrate in a packed court-room. In his submission, Sharma spared no one. Excerpts: • I have an unblemished service record for past 35 years, and there is no prosecution case of me indulging in corruption. Had I not become Mumbai CP, this would not have happened. Story continues below this ad • What action has been taken against my subordinates who failed to carry out their duties. What about Mulani (Mohammed, then ACP, Crime), M.S. Maheshgauri (then Additional Commissioner of Pune) and S.M. Mushrif (Joint Commissioner) who refused to apply MCOCA in the stamp paper case? • I ordered an inquiry against Mulani and my role is being questioned. • I suggested the formation of the special task force to investigate the scam. Now the man who was supervising the case and ensuring certain compliance, is being arrested. • Why didn’t anyone question Telgi’s stay with Mumbai police before I took over as Commissioner? (ENS) Story continues below this ad

	Another cop arrested, this one’s an ACP

			EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE MUMBAI, DECEMBER 2 Mumbai police today arrested another cop, this time an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), for his alleged role in the multi-crore stamp paper scam. This takes the number of cops held in this case to 11. ACP Ramchandra Yennam is currently attached to the Navi Mumbai police in-charge of the port zone. His alleged role in the scam dates back to when he was posted in the Dharavi unit of the crime branch in 1998. He is accused of letting off Abdul Karim Telgi after diluting charges. Yennam is the second ACP to be arrested by SIT. Earlier, Gokul Patil was booked for accepting money from Telgi during his stint with Thane police. Former ACP Ramakant Padwal is also under arrest and is being questioned.

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