Telgi case: SIT will submit report on Mumbai police chief's role today

S S Puri, chief of the Special Investigating Team investigating the fake stamp paper racket, on Wednesday submit to the Bombay high court a report on the outcome of the questioning of Mumbai Police Commissioner R S Sharma and other top officers in connection with the scam.

The Maharashtra opposition has demanded the removal of Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, who also holds the home portfolio, from his post for his alleged failure to curb corruption in the police force. Prime accused Abdul Karim Telgi's fake stamp paper business is believed to have thrived only due to the patronage of several police officers and politicians.

Also Read The Stamp of Corruption The Fake Stamp Paper Racket

Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde has ruled out a Central Bureau of Investigation probe saying the SIT is doing a good job. Governor Mohammed Fazal also shares this opinion about the SIT, which has arrested nine police officers and two MLAs in connection with the racket.

Fazal is in Delhi to discuss the drought situation in the state and other issues. Shinde had called on the governor before he left for Delhi while Bhujbal had a separate meeting to discuss the issue on Monday.

During a search on Monday night, the SIT seized some documents from the office of Joint Commissioner of Police Sridhar Vagal. It also interrogated him in Pune Jail while arresting Sub-Inspector S R Dalvi in Mumbai for his alleged role in the scam.

Dalvi's arrest has taken the number of policemen arrested in the scam to nine. He was on Tuesday produced before a court, which remanded him to police custody till November 17.

Meanwhile, the Nationalist Congress Party's state unit chief R R Patil dismissed reports that the SIT questioned Chhagan Bhujbal's nephew Sameer in connection with the racket.