Scamster Telgi passes away

Bengaluru: Abdul Karim Telgi, the kingpin of the multi-crore fake stamp paper scam that shook the country over a decade ago, died of multi-organ failure here on Thursday.

Abdul Karim Telgi, the kingpin of the multi-crore fake stamp paper scam that shook the country over a decade ago, died of multi-organ failure at a staterun hospital here on Thursday.

He was 56 and was battling for life for about a week. He was on ventilator and life support system after being admitted to Victoria Hospital for meningitis, doctors said.

“Telgi is no more. He breathed his last at 3.55 pm. He was suffering from multi-organ failure,” Dr Balaji S Pai of the hospital, who attended on him, said.

Telgi, who was serving 30 years rigorous imprisonment at the Central Prison here, is survived by wife, daughter and son-in-law.

His condition was critical with “multi-system failure” and he suffered a cardiac arrest in the afternoon, a statement issued by the trauma care centre of the hospital said.

Telgi’s counsel had in the past alleged in the court that he was administered HIV-infected syringe while in prison, a charge police and the prison authorities had rejected outright.

After his arrest in Ajmer in November 2001 in connection with the fake stamp paper scam, Telgi was sentenced to 30 years' rigorous imprisonment by a court five years later.