Shinde says no to CBI probe

Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde today ruled out handing over the probe into the multi-crore stamp paper racket to the CBI. &#1...

Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde today ruled out handing over the probe into the multi-crore stamp paper racket to the CBI.

‘‘Special Investigating Team (SIT) is doing an excellent job and had even arrested senior police officials from the department. There was no need to take away the case from them,’’ he told reporters here.

	Telgi invested scam money in petro business: Gadkari

			Mumbai: Opposition leader in Maharashtra Legislative Council Nitin Gadkari on Monday alleged that Telgi had invested his ill-gotten money in large-scale import of naptha for adulteration of petrol. The BJP leader demanded a CBI probe into the alleged petro adulteration racket operated by Telgi’s associates, Antil Totla and Girish Cheda. Gadkari said he has written to Petroleum Minister Ram Naik to initiate a CBI probe into the misuse of imported naptha. (Agencies) Story continues below this ad

However, Shinde said the probe was being done under the direct supervision of Bombay High Court and the final decision to hand over the probe to CBI would be taken by the judiciary. He called on Governor Mohammed Fazal, who returned from his Delhi visit today.

No sooner had Fazal returned, Shinde rushed to Raj Bhavan and was closeted with the Governor for nearly half-an-hour, official sources said here. Shinde declined to divulge details of the meeting saying it ‘‘is an administrative matter’’.

Fazal, during his Delhi tour, had met Deputy PM L.K. Advani and discussed the stamp-paper scam.

Meanwhile in Bangalore, former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda demanded the state order a CBI probe into the scam.

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Expressing surprise over Karnataka’s stand against the CBI probe, Gowda said Gujarat and AP had sought CBI help and several arrests were made in Maharashtra. He said CBI was the only central agency and the existing system should be believed in. Gowda said Congress chief Sonia Gandhi had herself said the guilty should not be spared.