Stamp Scam: SIT questions DGP T K Choudhary

The Special Investigation Team on Friday night interrogated Director General of Police (CID, Pune) T K Choudhary in connection with the fake stamp paper racket.

Choudhary is the first DGP-level official to be questioned by the SIT. Last week, it summoned former DGP Subhash Malhotra for questioning but he is yet to appear before Puri.

SIT chief S S Puri questioned Choudhary for over three hours at the SIT's office at the SRPF campus in Pune, sources in Mumbai said.

As the then head of the Establishment Department, Choudhary transferred a police officer of the Mumbai Crime Branch's Cyber Cell to Nagpur reportedly on the request of his orderly, who in turn was influenced by prime accused Abdul Karim Telgi. At that time, Choudhary was posted in the headquarters of the Maharashtra police in Mumbai.

The official was reportedly assigned a sensitive case involving Telgi, and was nearing completion of the probe when he received marching orders for Nagpur.

The SIT suspects that the transfer was brought about by Telgi, who allegedly approached an orderly posted with Choudhary. The orderly convinced Choudhary to transfer the police inspector, SIT sources claimed.

The SIT had summoned the orderly, police constable Lotankar, for questioning. SIT sources claim Telgi was personally in touch with Lotankar and had demanded that the inspector be transferred to Naxal-infested Gadchiroli district in eastern Maharashtra.

But Lotankar could not manage this and instead the officer was transferred to Nagpur.

However, the inspector in turn used his contacts to ensure that the Mumbai police did not relieve him (on the grounds of shortage of staff). Eventually, he got the transfer order cancelled.