Bangalore, July 9: The Congress-led coalition in Karnataka is on a damage control mission following allegations by a former assistant commissioner of police that he was being made a scapegoat by Union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, former chief minister S.M. Krishna and other Congress leaders in the fake stamp-paper case.

Chief minister Dharam Singh, deputy . Siddaramaiah and water resource minister Mallikarjun Kharge questioned the integrity of T.G. Sangram Singh, now in CBI custody for his links with alleged scam mastermind Abdul Karim Telgi. Sangram Singh had alleged that Azad, Krishna and other Congress leaders were protecting former minister Roshan Baig.

“How can you go by the statements of an accused in this case? The CBI will throw more light on his links with Telgi,” said the chief minister. “The law will take its course against him,” echoed his deputy.

“He must have spoken out of frustration because he is one of the three officers whom I suspended on the basis of investigation by our special investigation team,” said Kharge, who held the home portfolio in the previous government.

The Congress got a boost when Speaker Somnath Chatterjee today did not allow the BJP to raise in the Lok Sabha the alleged involvement of Krishna in the scam.

Krishna, who is in Europe on a private visit, was not available for comments.

Sangram Singh is said to have spoken of how he was forced to carry Rs 20 crore to Tamil filmstar Rajnikant’s manager in Chennai for the release of thespian Rajkumar, who was in Veerappan’s captivity during August-November 2000.

Sangram was arrested on Wednesday evening and produced in court along with two suspended police inspectors — Vali Basha and V.A. Khan.

He also accused CBI officials of ill-treating him after he was taken into custody.

“I have been treated shabbily by the CBI. Even my pleas to call for a doctor went unheeded,” he said.