Telgi ready to divulge names of all those involved in stamp paper scam

The alleged mastermind behind the multi-billion-rupee fake stamp paper scam, Abdul Karim Telgi, has sought permission from the Special Court in Bangalore to make a confessional statement and divulge the names of all the persons involved in the racket including politicians, police officials and businessmen.

Telgi, who has already made his first confessional statement before the Pune Chief Judicial Magistrate regarding the cases booked against him by the Mumbai’s Crime Investigation Department, told the Special Judge in Bangalore that he was ready to give a 400 page confessional statement that would cover all the ten cases booked against him in Karnataka.

Telgi informed the Special Judge Vishwanath Angadi through video conferencing from Yerawada jail, where he is presently lodged. The video conference was part of the proceedings in case accusing Telgi of continuing his fake stamp paper business when he was lodged in the Central Prison in Bangalore. The case pertains to the recovery of almost Rs 2 billion worth of fake stamp papers in which three jail superintendents have been named.

“I request your honour to permit me to make a confessional statement. If found guilty, I may be hanged. I don’t want the truth to die with me. I want to reveal all the details of those involved before truth dies with me. I have made up my mind”, said Telgi, who is suffering from a number of ailments.

Claiming that he had already started jotting down the points and would need some more time, Telgi said he would make the statement in the court in the presence of his advocate and public prosecutor. “I need to consult my advocate too”, he said asking his lawyer M T Nanaiah to meet him in Yerawada jail in Pune.

The Special Judge gave Telgi time till May 22 to prepare his confessional statement after the alleged king-pin the fake stamp paper racket said he required at least fifteen days to finalise his confessional statement.

Meanwhile, the Bangalore Central Prison officials have set in motion the process of upgrading the video-conferencing unit installed two years ago at the Special Court trying the multi-billion-rupee fake stamp paper racket into a multi-screen facility.

With the accused housed in different jails across the country, the multi-screen facility will enable all the accused to be produced at the same time. “The multi-screen facility will enable the court to interact with three different locations simultaneously. While one screen will show the Special court, the other three screen will display the images of other locations”, Deputy Inspector General (Bangalore Central Prison) B S Abbai told reporters.