By IANS
Pune : A special court in Pune framing charges in the multi-million rupees fake stamp paper scam Wednesday cleared a former Mumbai police commissioner and two other police officers of all charges.
The special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court, which Tuesday framed charges against prime accused Abdul Karim Telgi and 42 others, Wednesday discharged former Mumbai police commissioner R.S. Sharma, former deputy commissioner of police (crime branch) Pradeep Sawant and suspended inspector of police Vashist Andhale for lack of evidence.
Special Judge Chitra Bhedi said that the prosecution did not have enough evidence against them.
All the three had been in judicial custody before being granted bail.
Prior to his arrest, Sharma was tipped for the top police post in Maharashtra. He has since retied.
The special court Tuesday rejected the applications of the accused challenging their prosecution under the stringent MCOCA act.
Charges were framed against Telgi and others including 26 of his former employees for being members of an organised crime syndicate, which conspired to impersonate, posses, fabricate, forge and market fake government stamps and stamp papers to the detriment of the state.
While 40 pleaded guilty except to charges under Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Telgi denied all charges against him and pleaded "not guilty".
The court had Tuesday discharged a former stamp vendor, Madhav Mutta Devadia, who had been named a conspirator. Telgi had allegedly misused the government license granted to Devadia to sell stamps and stamp papers.
If convicted, the accused face a maximum punishment of life imprisonment.
Charges against 21 other accused were also framed Tuesday.