Maharashtra Governor Mohammad Fazal on Thursday said only 'puppets' have been arrested by the Special Investigation Team probing the multicrore stamp paper scam.

"The puppeteers have so far remained beyond the police net," Fazal told reporters at Raj Bhavan.

Reiterating his observations that the scam should be investigated by an 'independent agency', Fazal said since SIT was only 'a group of policemen probing against their own colleagues, an independent probe would have been in the right perception'.

"A doctor never operates his own son; he gets someone from outside to conduct the surgery," he said.

"The ongoing probe was by the police (SIT) against policemen involved in the crime, since 90 per cent of them were uniformed men," he added.

Declining to comment on the rejection of a CBI plea by the principal bench of Bombay high court, Fazal said, "I am not reflecting upon the court judgment but airing public sentiments."

Coming down heavily on growing corruption in the society, he said, "They (corrupt) should be hanged to death." He also advocated amendments in the Indian Penal Code to deal strictly with the corrupt people.