HC pulls up CBI for not filing appeal against discharge of formr DGP

Mumbai, Oct 5 (UNI) The Bombay High Court today pulled up CBI counsel Raja Thackare for not filing an appeal against the Pune MCOCA court order that discharged former Director General of Police Ranjit Singh Sharma from a case related to fake stamps.

A division bench comprising Justices S Radhakrishnan and Roshan Dalvi also observed that Sharma's case was more worse than that of the two officers, against whom CBI has moved the court.

In this background, the court commented that the premier agency was adopting pick and choose policy while acting against police officers in the fake stamp case and asked as to when an appeal against Sharma's discharge would be filed.

Pune special MCOCA court has discharged Sharma, former Mumbai DCP Pradeep Sawant and ACP Washishta Aandhale along with some other accused in the largest fake stamp case registered with Bund Garden police station in Pune in July. As a prosecution agency, the CBI has filed appeals against discharge of Pradeep Sawant and Aandhale but, no appeal has been filed against discharge of Sharma.

Meanwhile, the court today recalled its earlier order that had stayed order discharging Sawant and Aandhale on applications filed by these former police officers, saying that the interim order resembled a final order. Also the court had admitted the appeals filed by the CBI and fixed October 24 as next date for final hearing in the matter.

UNI