Wednesday, August 10 2005 19:21 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: Telgi fake stamps scam accused and suspended Mumbai Crime Branch inspector, Dattatraya Dhal, was today (Aug 10, 2005) arrested by the Economic Offence Wing of Mumbai police for allegedly cheating a marketing firm owner to the tune of Rs 46.60 lakh when he was posted as in-charge of Dharavi crime branch unit in 2001.

The EOW produced Dhal in court, which remanded him to judicial custody till August 24, police said.

Dhal was arrested last night after probe revealed that he had connived with his then subordinate, Assistant Police Inspector Dilip Kamath (who is also one of the Telgi fake stamps scam accused) in looting Sagar Bane, director of Vishwa Marketing on November 25, 2001, police said.

Bane was returning home after attending a meeting of agents on that day, when Dhal and others are alleged to have stopped him at Sion junction and identifying themselves as policemen, took him to Dharavi crime branch unit, police said in the remand application.

The accused police officials allegedly charged Bane of running a bogus marketing firm and relieved him of seven mobile-phones, personal gold ornaments worth Rs 1.04 lakh and cash Rs 1.30 lakh besides his two cars, police said.

Subsequently Kamat removed Rs 20 lakh cash kept at Bane's office and Rs 13 lakh plus gold ornaments from the houses of three female colleagues of Bane, the police alleged while arguing in court for Dhal's police custody.

The Economic Offence Wing of Mumbai police probed the matter following a complaint lodged by Bane, and booked Dhal and Kamat under Sections wrongful restraint (341), wrongful confinement (342), causing hurt to extort confession or to compel restoration of property (330), cheating with knowledge (418), criminal breach of trust (406) and criminal conspiracy (120-B) of IPC.

Accused Dhal was produced in the court of Metropolitan Magistrate D K Sonawane, where the EOW sought his police custody to recover the looted property and arrest other accused.

Advocates Dharmendra Rohra and Ashok Shahani, who appeared on behalf of suspected inspector Dhal, while opposing his custody, contended that the officer was not on duty on the day of the incident since it was Sunday. More over, Dhal has not been implicated in the FIR, they contended.

Magistrate Sonawane ordered judicial custody for Dhal till August 24, stating that the EOW was yet to arrest the prime accused in the case, namely suspended Kamath.