Telgi case: SC grants bail to a retired Police official

New Delhi, Sep 19: The Supreme Court has granted bail to a retired Assisstant Commissioner of Police, Pune, for his alleged involvement in the fake stamp paper case.

Petitioner Mohammad Chand Mulani was arrested in 2003 for receiving a bribe of Rs 15 lakhfor relieving the wife, daughter and brother of Abdul Karim Telgi in the case.

The petitioner was to receive Rs 3 crore as illegal gratification and Rs 15 lakh was only a part payment.

Telgi is the kingpin in the fake stamp paper scandal worth Rs 2189 crore.

A Bench comprising justices K G Balakrishnan, G P Mathur and R V Raveendran on September 18 ordered the release of the accused on his furnishing a surety of Rs 2 lakh with two solvent sureties of like amount.

The court also directed Mulani to surrender his passport before the special court and was asked to report to the investigating officer every alternate Saturdays between 1000 hrs and 1200 hrs.

The court also made it clear that nothing stated above would be construed as an expression of an opinion with regard to merit.

''The entire consideration is with limited reference to grant of bail. It is needless to say that the trial court while deciding the matter on merit will not be influenced by anything stated by this court while disposing of applications for bail,'' the court concluded.

Mulani was arrested under MCOCA and the Prevention of Corruption Act. Eight hundred witnesses are to be examined in the case.

Mulani is also facing allegation of not arresting one Sirajuddin.

A bribe of Rs 15 lakh was allegedly received by Mulani through Telgi's counsel Abdul Rashid Kulkarni.

UNI