He started the fire but won’t talk now

When The Indian Express caught up with him in the wake of Mumbai Joint Commissioner Shridhar Vagal’s arrest in the multi-core stamp pap...

When The Indian Express caught up with him in the wake of Mumbai Joint Commissioner Shridhar Vagal’s arrest in the multi-core stamp paper racket, DIG S.M. Mushrif said: ‘‘Since the matter is sub-judice, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on the ongoing investigations.’’

But Mushrif, now looking after the State Reserve Police Force, is normally not that reticent. For, it was his first report on the case and the subsequent public spat among senior cops that blew the lid off the Rs 23,000-cr scandal.

	SIT searches Vagal’s office

			MUMBAI: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) searched the office of Joint Commissioner (Intelligence) Shridhar Vagal late on Monday night. The team seized a number of documents from the office at Maharashtra police headquarters in Colaba, police said. The SIT expected to recover incriminating documents from Vagal’s office, following the seizure of incriminating material from the official’s car on the day of his arrest, sources said.

			Shinde meets Fazal, says no to CBI
			Maharashtra CM Sushilkumar Shinde on Tuesday rejected the Sena-BJP demand for a CBI probe into the stamp paper scam, even as he briefed Governor Mohammed Fazal on the developments in the case. ‘‘I will not disclose what transpired,’’ he said after the 35-minute meeting. Shinde rushed to the Raj Bhawan soon after his return from Delhi. He was supposed to meet Fazal in the afternoon, but he preponed the meeting, which came a day after his deputy Chhagan Bhujbal met the Governor amid Opposition demand for his removal over the alleged failure to check corruption among police force. — PTI’

Mushrif joined the service as Deputy Superintendent in 1981. He was honoured with Police Medal in 1994 and has worked throughout the state in places like Satara, Jalgaon, Solapur, Thane, Nanded and Pune.

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He even headed the investigations in the stamp paper racket which had spread to six other states. The authorities transferred the responsibilities to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) after Mushrif’s report alleging irregularities in conduct of the probe by Pune police.

Here’s how it happened:

• October 16, 2002: Mushrif submits report to then Pune Police Commissioner Ranjit Singh Sharma accusing ACP M.C. Mulani and Inspector Prakash Deshmukh of exonerating five persons against whom evidence had been collected. He also names three relatives of Abdul Karim Telgi as accused without evidence against them. His report is forwarded to Maharashtra’s Additional Chief Secretary (Home). Deshmukh files an application alleging Mushrif had threatened him. Sharma asks JCP M.S. Maheshgauri to look into the charges.

• October 23, 2002: ACP Mulani complains to Maheshgauri accusing Mushrif of ‘‘disgraceful conduct’’ during investigations. Mushrif issues a press release demanding an inquiry by no less than the DGP (Anti-Corruption Bureau). He also submits a fresh report now claiming that apart from the three relatives of Telgi, two others had been named in the chargesheet despite lack of evidence.

• October 24, 2002: DGP Subhash Malhotra steps in to call for an end to the public spat between policemen.

• November 2, 2002: Mushrif is shifted to State Reserve Police Force.

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• A few days later, the government announces the formation of SIT.

• April 2003: Jaiswal’s report points to Sharma, Maheshgauri, Mushrif, DCPs Kishor Jadhav, Jay Jadhav and Vasant Koregaonkar, ACPs Mulani and Ashok Kambale and Inspector Deshmukh.

• August 2003: Mulani and Deshmukh are suspended pending inquiry.