Bombay ex-police chief on remand

Mr Sharma is innocent, says his lawyer

An Indian court has remanded the former police chief of Bombay (Mumbai) in custody for a week in connection with an alleged multi-million dollar fraud.

RS Sharma is accused of shielding two colleagues accused of taking part in a counterfeiting racket involving fake government stamp papers.

Investigators say the $650m fraud is the biggest in India's history.

Mr Sharma told the judge in the city of Pune that he had been framed and denied all charges.

"Till today nobody has blamed me for taking any money," he told a packed courtroom.

'Mastermind' in jail

The case was being heard in Pune because Mr Sharma headed the fraud investigation there while head of the city's police two years ago, before becoming Bombay commissioner.

He retired from the police on Sunday, and was arrested the following day.

He is the most senior police official to become caught up in the scandal, which covers Maharashtra state and six others.

Sixty people, including 16 policemen, have been arrested during the investigation.

The alleged mastermind, Abdul Karim Telgi, is in jail awaiting trial.

He denies printing and selling the fake papers, or stamps, used in official transactions.