Court lenient on Telgi on health ground

Bangalore: He is the man who swindled government’s Rs 30,000 crores by way of fake stamp papers. Abdul Karim Telgi, prime accused in the multi-crore fake stamp paper case was sentenced to a 10-year jail-term by a special CBI court in Bangalore on Saturday.

Telgi along with four other co-accused—Badaruddin, Irfaan Ahmed, Wasir Ahmed Salik, and Pradeep Kumar—has also been slapped with a fine of Rs 50, 000. He was produced in the court via web conference.

The CBI was pushing for a life sentence for Telgi, however he was shown leniency on health grounds, said the court. "We asked for a life imprisonment however the court was lenient considering age and health reasons," said Special Public Prosecutor P Govindan.

Telgi had named top bureaucrats and politicians allegedly involved in the scam. The case created a sensation last year when videotapes of his narco-analysis test conducted in Bangalore in 2003 became public. Telgi was heard taking names of famous politicians in the tape.

An earlier report by CBI revealed that the fake stamp papers were printed using printing machines, which were purchased illegally with the help of Central Government's security printing press officials in Nashik.

Telgi's monthly profits from the scam were estimated to be Rs 100 crore. Prior to the conviction, Telgi had filed an application before the Special MCOCA Court (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) in Pune urging to become an approver and also be pardoned as an accomplice.

There are 40 more case against Telgi in Bangalore alone. While it’s for the first time that he has been sentenced in Karnataka, a Mumbai court on January 2006 sentenced him for 10-years imprisonment with a fine of Rs 50,000. Telgi's counsel N T Naniah said they would appeal against the sentence in a higher court.

(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter and Google+)

#abdul karim telgi #stamp paper scam #sharad pawar #Chhagan Bhujbal