Kerala to conduct CB probe

The Kerala government has decided to conduct a Crime Branch (CB) probe into the fake stamp paper transactions in the state and all other rel...

The Kerala government has decided to conduct a Crime Branch (CB) probe into the fake stamp paper transactions in the state and all other related cases on the basis of the report submitted by the Thiruvananthapuram sub-collector.

The Cabinet had earlier decided to recommend a CBI inquiry on the basis of the report which was submitted to the government in November 2002, stating that transaction worth Rs 20 lakh took place using fake stamp papers.

However, a high-level meeting convened by Chief Secretary N. Chandrasekharan Nair here last month decided to conduct a Crime Branch inquiry, considering the delay involved in a CBI probe and the seriousness of the issue. The Crime Branch is yet to get the government nod to start the investigation. According to Crime Branch sources, steps are yet to be taken to hand over the investigation to them.

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The meeting had also directed Treasury Director K.V. Thomas to submit details regarding the supply of stamp paper in the state in order to compare it with the number of stamp papers used for registration purposes. However, the report is also yet to be submitted, sources said.

The police department is also reportedly sitting on a report from the Maharashtra police during the early months of 2002 which pointed at the involvement of influential people in the racket.