Pune: Former Mumbai Police Commissioner R S Sharma, charged with helping the organised crime syndicate of Abdul Karim Telgi in the multi-crore fake stamp paper scam, was today (Dec 2, 2003) remanded to police custody till December 9 by a local court even as he pleaded that he was being singled out by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) for the alleged crime.

Seeking his custody, prosecutor Raja Thakre said, "We want to investigate whether Sharma was under political pressure to give patronage to the Telgi syndicate while probing the scam and if yes, who were the politicians involved."

Sharma, arrested yesterday (Dec 1) by SIT in Mumbai, told the court that the charges of corruption were not made out against him in this case and that he had an unblemished record of 35 years of service in the department.

"Those responsible for helping Telgi syndicate were left out and I have been pinned down in this case," Sharma said in a jam-packed courtroom of Judicial Magistrate First Class M N Bondre.

He said SIT had charged him for the same lapses which had been mentioned in the Government chargesheet served on him in the departmental inquiry. Hence this amounted to double jeopardy.

His lawyer Vijay Nahar said Sharma's case was like putting a cart before the horse.

Prosecutor Raja Thakre, countering Sharma's argument of double jeopardy, said only facts enumerated against him in the departmental inquiry and in this case were the same but the charges vary as he may face civil and criminal action if found guilty.

PTI