Fake stamp paper kingpin Telgi produced in Mumbai court

MUMBAI: Fake stamp paper scam mastermind Abdul Karim Telgi and the co-accused in the scam were today produced before a sessions court here as the video conferencing system (VCS) installed at the Yerawada jail is not functioning.

The prison authorities, in reply to a show-cause notice issued by Additional Sessions Judge Chitra Bhedi, have said that they are in the process of appointing a new contractor for the VCS, prosecutor Pradip Gharat told media.

However, there were outstanding bills to the tune of approximately Rs 2 lakh and the Yerawada Jail authorities wanted only free incoming facility, Telgi told reporters.

Telgi along with seven other accused demanded that the VCS be set up properly and their trial be speeded up.

The current case against Telgi is in connection with fake stamp papers worth about Rs 1 lakh sold to an advocate here. The advocate (complainant) Ramchandra Panigrahi, had purchased the stamp papers and used papers worth Rs 65,000. The remaining worth Rs 35,000 he tried to return to the General Stamp Office for a refund, which said the papers were counterfeits and an offence was registered against S S Services (owned by Telgi and his associates).

The other accused are Khalid Badami, Sajid Yusuf Khan, Shabbir Ahmed Mustaq Ahmed Shaikh, Tabrez Rahim Telgi, Sanjay Angare, Mohammad Ashrat and Jameer Sanadi.

Chitra Bhedi, hearing an application filed by Telgi, said that he had already been convicted for similar charges by a special MCOCA Court at Pune and so he cannot be tried again.