Former Mumbai top cop discharged in stamp scam

Former Mumbai police commissioner R S Sharma and two other police officers were discharged on Wednesday in one of the cases of the multi-crore fake stamp case after special court found lack of evidence against them.

In a severe setback to the prosecution in the multi-crore fake stamp scam, the Special MCOCA Court discharged three -- Sharma, ex-DCP Mumbai crime branch Pradeep Sawant and suspended Inspector Vashisht Andhale from the five-year-old case for lack of evidence.

The three police officers, who were in judicial custody before being granted bail, were elated on hearing the pronouncement discharging them from the high-profile case by Special Judge Chitra K Bhedi, who said there was no evidence against them.

Sharma, who was in line for the Maharashtra DGP's post when he was arrested a few years ago, has since retired.

The court had, on Tuesday, discharged a former stamp vendor Madhav Mutta Devadia, who later was working as an office boy in one of the firms of Abdul Karim Telgi, the alleged kingpin in the multi-crore fake stamp case.