Let CBI probe stamp scam: Advani to State

MUMBAI: Union home minister L.K. Advani has asked the state government to give the CBI charge of the investigation into the Rs 2,200 crore Pune fake stamp racket.
This is significant because under most circumstances, it is a state government that asks the Centre to conduct a CBI probe into important cases.
Several politicians of the ruling Democratic Front as well as police officers are believed to be involved in the racket.
Official sources told TNN on Thursday that Mr Advani recently wrote to chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh recommending the CBI investigation.
Sources said Mr Deshmukh had referred the matter to additional chief secretary (home) Asoke Basak.
According to these sources, Mr Basak had said that the government had no objection to a CBI probe. But the cabinet has still not arrived at a decision on the matter. Neither Mr Deshmukh nor Mr Basak was available
for comment. Noted social activist Anna Hazare recently urged Mr Deshmukh to order an inquiry by the state anti-corruption bureau (ACB) into the case, but the government is still to respond to his suggestion.
In a related development, some Nationalist Congress Party leaders, including minister of state for dairy development Hasan Musrif, had met party president Sharad Pawar and called for for an ACB probe.
Recently, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national vice president Gopinath Munde met Mr Advani and demanded a CBI probe into the scam.