Sharad Pawar refutes mention in Telgi tape

A narco-analysis test conducted in 2003 on fake stamp paper scam kingpin Abdul Karim Telgi, aired by television channels on Wednesday, sought to link Union Minister Sharad Pawar and Maharastra Public Works Department Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, both of whom vehemently denied any involvement in the case.

In the CDs of the test conducted at Bangalore, Telgi purportedly claimed to have made payments to Pawar and Chagan Bhujbal. Terming the reports as 'irresponsible and basless,' Pawar stated that there was no need to take any congnizance of what a criminal has said.

"I am told that the tests on Telgi were carried out three-four years back and after that the investigating agencies have carried out their probe. No one at any time made any inquiries with me. I was also not in the government at that time," he said.

"An accused is levelling these charges against me. How can one rely on what such a person is saying," Bhujbal asked.

Bhujbal, who was the deputy chief minister when the fake stamp paper case came to light, claimed

that Telgi was resorting to such actions to 'take vengeance' as he was the one 'responsible for unearthing the scam.'

The Special Investigating Team, Pune, had ordered the Narco Analysis test of Telgi in 2003 before the Central Bureau of Investigation was assigned to investigate the case. When CBI took over the probe in 2004, Telgi had told the investigators that he had lied during the 'Truth Serum' test only to divert the probe as the heat was completely on him, CBI officials said.

They said the narco-analysis test became completely redundant after Telgi recorded his confessional statement before a Chief Judicial Magistrate in Maharashtra. In his confessional statement, Telgi named only those chargesheeted by the agency in the high-profile Bund Garden case, which blew the lid off the fake stamp paper scam.

Those chargesheeted included politicians Anil Gote and former Mumbai Police Commissioner R S Sharma. The CBI had also questioned Bhujbal during the probe and had cleared him of the allegations levelled against him. Even Telgi had not mentioned his name in his confessional statement, the CBI officials said.