‘Nothing against CBI but SIT is doing fine’

Maharashtra Deputy CM Chhagan Bhujbal today said he is not against handing over the probe into the fake stamp paper racket to the CBI but sa...

Maharashtra Deputy CM Chhagan Bhujbal today said he is not against handing over the probe into the fake stamp paper racket to the CBI but said the Special Investigation Team (SIT) looking into the scam has done a commendable job.

‘‘I am not against handing over the stamp scam to the CBI but a decision to this effect has to be taken by the CM who heads the government and the Bombay High Court, which is looking into the matter,’’ Bhujbal, who also holds the Home portfolio, said.

‘‘However, no doubts should be raised about the integrity of the police force,’’ Bhujbal said. SIT, headed by former DGP S.S. Puri, is doing an ‘‘excellent job’’ under the supervision of the HC, he said. ‘‘It is not proper to distrust the police force and hand over the probe to the CBI. But if there is some other consideration, I am not opposing the move to assign the case to the CBI.’’

	Telgi’s close aide arrested

			EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE BANGALORE, NOVEMBER 21 Story continues below this ad Karnataka StampIT picked up a close associate of prime accused Abdul Karim Telgi from Bangalore on Thursday night. The accused, M.B. Ali Ilyas Burhan, has been remanded today to StampIT custody till December 1 by a local court here. The agency has recovered incriminating documents from him. Ilyas, a release said, was the main agent who tried to dispose of properties acquired by Telgi. He also made arrangements for shelter for other accused and the scamster’s associates who visited Telgi in jail. He has been charged with acting as a middleman to facilitate and expand Telgi’s business while the main accused was cooling his heels in jail. ‘‘He (Ilyas) was one of the contacts outside and a cog in the wheel,’’ sources said. Meanwhile, Telgi’s application to see his aged mother in Khanapur will come up for hearing on Saturday. The applicant has asked for permission to visit Khanapur under police escort for a period of eight days.