Click to play videoPune: Abdul Karim Telgi, who was on Thursday sentenced to 13 years in prison, says he cannot pay the Rs 102-crore fine the court has imposed on him.
Telgi, who would have to spend three more years in prison if he fails to pay the record fine, confessed to the charges against him and appealed for clemency before the court on Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act in Pune.
“I don’t even have Rs 1,000 and I will have to spend three years in prison. I just can’t pay the fine,” Telgi told CNN-IBN while being taken away from the court.
When Judge Chitra Bedi asked Telgi whether he is pleading guilty, he said 'yes' and burst into tears. The judge offered him a chair. A weeping Telgi, who is HIV positive, begged for mercy, saying he was the only earning member of his family.
“The judge has considered his confession and also the fact that he saved the court’s time and the government’s money,” said his lawyer Harshad Nimbalkar.
Former Mumbai Police Commissioner R S Sharma, who was an accused in the case, was acquitted on Wednesday. So far 68 people have been arrested in this case and several high profile people questioned. They include former Maharastra Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal and Karnataka minister Roshan Baig.
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