Sharma recommended Mulani for felicitation despite negative report

According to a senior police official: "The special investigation team (SIT) appointed by the Mumbai High Court has submitted a report on the supervisory inefficiencies of Sharma who retained Mulani in the investigating team and also took him to Bangalore despite being informed of his (Mulani's) dubious role. Sharma, in his own handwriting, is also found to have recommended Mulani's name for felicitation despite knowing the officer's role in subverting the investigations."

Additional commissioner (crime), Pune, S M Mushrif, in his affidavit submitted to the Mumbai High Court on August 1, 2003, alleged that Sharma, who had been repeatedly apprised by him of the dubious role played by Mulani, still added Mulani's name to the list of police officials investigating the stamp paper scam to be felicitated.

"At about 8 pm on 16 October, 2002, I got the information that the next day some officers and policemen connected with this (fake stamps and stamp paper scam) investigation were going to be felicitated at the hands of the deputy chief minister and that Prakash Deshmukh (police inspector of the Bund Garden police station in Pune) was one of them. I therefore thought it necessary to inform the senior officers about the serious malafide acts committed by Deshmukh and ACP Mulani while submitting the chargesheets," Mushrif stated in his affidavit.

Mushrif notes that he informed the secretary for home Asok Basak who promised to try to postpone the function.

The day before (16 October, 2002), Mushrif had sent a report on the dubious role played by Mulani and Deshmukh to Sharma who had submitted the same for enquiry by a senior police official.

He adds that: "But late in the evening (17 October, 2002) I learnt that the function did take place and among others Deshmukh was also felicitated. Later I came to know that ACP Mulani's name was also in the list of officers to be felicitated.... it was dropped at the last minute. When I scrutinised the office records I came across a very revealing office note."

A list of officers to be felicitated had been put up by the deputy commissioner of police to Sharma wherein Mulani's name had not been included.

"Surprisingly Sharma added Mulani's name in his own handwriting and that too after Mulani's misconduct had been disclosed much earlier. This fact more than anything else demonstrated Sharma's proximity with and tacit support to whatever Mulani did."

A copy of the office note (available with the Business Standard) lists ten police officers attached to the Bundgarden police station for having done best work (in investigating the scam).

Sharma's note at the bottom states: "I have indicated priority above (order of merit). Also include names of ACP Mulani/Yadav and Davis in the text."

While Mushrif had brought to Sharma's notice repeatedly about the apparent malafide investigations by Deshmukh and Mulani, little effort was undertaken to enquire into the facts of his allegations.

The special investigation team (SIT) under deputy inspector general of police SK Jaiswal, that probed the allegations made by Mushrif, said in its report: "The overall conduct of this officer (Mulani) during the course of investigation is perverse, remiss, negligent and dishonest, particularly when seen in the light of the acts of omission and commission which are so obvious."