Fake stamp paper scam kingpin Telgi hospitalised, critical
MUMBAI: Abdul Karim Telgi, the mastermind of the multi-crore counterfeit stamp paper scam, is on ventilator and suffering from meningitis, his lawyer said.
With more than 20 convictions — imprisonment for which counts up to 40 years if calculated separately — and fines above ₹250 crore, Telgi first came into focus in 2003, two years after his arrest that unfolded an unholy nexus between criminals, politicians and police.
Arrested on November 22, 2001, he was booked in 48 cases, which were later clubbed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
Telgi, a jackfruit seller-turnedstamp vendor-turned-master forger, has been suffering from diabetes and hypertension for over 20 years, besides other ailments, including AIDS.
His lawyer Milind Pawar said, “I spoke to Telgi’s daughter in the morning and she told me he is currently in the Intensive Care Unit of a private hospital in Bengaluru.”
Known for his proximity with police officials, Telgi procured a stamp paper machine from Indian Security Press to run a racket of printing and selling fake stamps. In 2003, police recovered fake stamps worth ₹3,000 crore.
Investigations threw up the names of several senior police officials, bureaucrats and politicians in the case.
Telgi first pleaded guilty in 2007 before the verdict in the biggest stamp paper case registered at Bund garden. The court imprisoned him on multiple counts, with a total sentence of 29 years and a fine of ₹250 crore.
However, as the imprisonment was to be served concurrently, Telgi’s sentence was compressed to 13 years. After the 2007 verdict, he confessed to his crimes in a series of other cases.
“There were about 48 cases against Telgi at various places in Maharashtra and elsewhere. Most cases against him from Maharashtra have been disposed of,” said Pawar.
He added that the kingpin’s wife and 11 others were still facing trial in a Pune local court, while other high-profile officials — including ex-Mumbai police commissioner Ranjit Sharma and DCP Pradeep Sharma — were discharged by court.