Cop behind Telgi scam expose promoted

The promotion came after orders from the Central Administrative Tribunal, which heard Mushrif's appeal against his non-promotion.

A senior Maharashtra police officer, who busted the fake stamp paper racket masterminded by Abdul Karim Telgi and revealed the alleged involvement of top police officials, has been promoted after a long battle.

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According to state government sources in Mumbai, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Shamshuddin Miyalal Mushrif, was promoted to Inspector General of Police.

The promotion came after orders from the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), which heard Mushrif's appeal against his non-promotion.

During his tenure as Pune Additional Commissioner of Police, Mushrif had questioned the conduct of his boss, then Pune Police Commissioner Ranjit Singh Sharma, and another official, Pune Additional Commissioner of Police MC Mulani, in investigating the case.

Mushrif had also gone on record to say that Sharma and Mulani had shown undue favours to Telgi and his cronies and interfered in the investigations against the racketeers.

Sharma, who went on to become Mumbai's Police Commissioner, was forced to resign. Both he and Mulani were among several others arrested under the tough Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act.

Maharashtra's then Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal used adverse remarks against Mushrif to halt his promotion. Shortly afterwards, Bhujbal himself had to quit his job after several allegations were levelled against him in the fake stamp paper racket.

So far, 66 people, including several senior police officials and two lawmakers, have been arrested in the multi-billion-rupee stamp paper racket that is said to be spread across several states.

Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Sharma, Joint Commissioner Sridhar Vagal and Deputy Commissioner Pradeep Sawant are among those arrested.