CID to probe Maharashtra legislators' 'fake signatures'

Mumbai, March 29 (IANS) The Maharashtra Legislative Council Thursday ordered a CID probe into allegations made by a Shiv Sena member claiming her signature had been forged on some papers.

Taking serious note of MLC Neelam Gorhe's claim that her signature had been forged with an intention to hold a debate in the council, Chairman Shivajirao Deshmukh ordered the investigation.

Gorhe, who is also one of the spokespersons of the Shiv Sena, said some unknown persons had faked her signature and then filed documents with the Legislature Secretariat to conduct a debate in the house.

However, Gorhe, who hails from Pune, said some alert security officials brought the matter to her notice and she raised the issue as it amounted to a security breach.

Later, she told mediapersons that similar instances of fake signatures of other members like Ramdas Kadam, a former leader of opposition, Parshuram Uparkar, both from Shiv Sena, and Nationalist Congress Party member Kiran Pawaskar had also come to light in the past.

"This is a serious issue and there were 25 similar cases in the last session. Strict action must be taken against the culprits," Deshmukh said while directing the state CID to investigate.