New Delhi: A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the Rs 3,000 crore Telgi stamp paper scam involving top officials and politicians in several states on the ground that the State Governments were reluctant to order probe by an independent agency.

The petition filed by advocate Ajay Aggarwal was mentioned yesterday (November 18) before a Bench headed by Chief Justice V N Khare who said that it would be taken up for hearing in due course. It is likely to be listed for hearing on December 15.

The petitioner, annexing several newspaper reports relating to the wide spread of the scam, alleged that though Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani has made a public statement that the Centre was ready for a CBI inquiry, the States were not making the necessary request as "political big wigs" are allegedly involved in the scandal.

PTI