Stamp paper scam: Telgi gets 10 more years in jail

A special court in Pune on Monday sentenced kingpin in the multi-crore fake stamp paper scam Abdul Karim Telgi to 10 years imprisonment in one of the many cases filed against him.

The sentence will have to be served by Telgi consecutively, after he serves the earlier sentences.

"Telgi will have to be in jail for 10 more years," Special Central Bureau of Investigation prosecutor Pradeep Gharat said.

50-year-old Telgi is currently serving jail term in Bangalore. The case pertains to the arrest of two persons Rajgad Jaiswal and Avdesh Tiwari from S R Travels in suburban Mulund, who were allegedly selling fake stamps using the name of an authorised stamp vendor Kanchan Bhongale.

Bhongale had reported to the General Stamps office and a case was registered at the Mulund police station in 2001.

Fake stamps worth about Rs 25 lakh were seized from the duo. Ten persons were named as accused in the case including Telgi.

While Telgi pleaded guilty, four persons including a police officer did not plead guilty and will face trial.

A police officer Liladhar Nemade died and the case against him was abated, Gharat said, adding that two accused are absconding and the remaining two have been discharged.

The stamps were sold to various banks and builders.

"Telgi was sentenced 10 years under various sections of IPC, and five years under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act.... These sentences would be concurrently served. The court has also fined him Rs 17 lakh," Gharat said.

Telgi has been found guilty in several cases related to fake stamp paper scam spread across several states. The scam came to light in 2002.