3 of family held for selling stamp papers using forged seal

A stamp paper vendor and two members of his family were Wednesday arrested here for allegedly using forged seal and signature to issue stamp papers, police said.

The trio was arrested on the charge of cheating, and stamp papers of Rs 500 and Rs 100 denominations, collectively worth Rs 68 lakh, were seized from them, police said.

According to police, the stamp papers were genuine, but they were procured by the accused without the mandatory signature and stamp of the treasury officer.

The accused were identified as Suhas Deshpande (59), his wife Sucheta (54) and son Chinmay (26), they said.

A complaint in this regard was registered at Vishrambaug police station under IPC sections 419 (punishment for cheating by personation), 420 (cheating) and 34 (common intention) and relevant sections of the State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act, 2005.

According to police, the Deshpandes have a licence to sell stamp papers the last several years.

"We received information that the family was in possession of some stamp papers, which they had procured from the treasury without the mandatory signature and stamp of the treasury officer," a police officer said.

Stamp papers of any denomination are not allowed to be sold from the treasury without the stamp and signature of the treasury officer, he added.

"In the present case, when we inquired with the Deshpandes, we found that he had procured the stamp papers of Rs 500 and Rs 100 denominations without the mandatory signature and stamp of the officer," he added.

The accused used to sell the stamps using forged seal and signature of the treasury officer, the policeman said.

"The stamps he procured from the treasury are genuine and obtained after paying the requisite amount. But we are investigating his intention behind using the forged seal and forging the signature. We will investigate the motive behind indulging in this malpractice," the officer said.

He said they are probing how the stamp papers without the mandatory official seal and signature were being issued.

"Stamp papers worth Rs 68 lakh have been seized," he said.

All the three accused were produced before a court here and remanded to police custody till June 21.