Abdul Karim Telgi

Abdul Karim Telgi (born 1961), son of late Shariefabee Ladsaab Telgi (mother) [ [http://www.hindu.com/2005/01/13/stories/2005011310080400.htm The Hindu : Karnataka News : Telgi attends mother's funeral ] ] , is a convicted-counterfeiter from India.

Biography

Birth & Early Career

Born to an employee of Indian Railways in 1961, Telgi was left to fend for himself at an early age after his father's death. He paid for his own education at Sarvodaya Vidyalaya, an English medium school, by selling fruit and vegetables on trains." [http://www.hindu.com/mag/2003/11/30/stories/2003113000110200.htm Telgi is so Indian] ", "The Hindu", 30 November 2003.] He completed his B.Com from a Belgaum college. After this, he moved to Saudi Arabia. Seven years later, he returned to India and began to work as a travel agent.

Arrest

Telgi was arrested in 1991 by Mumbai police for fraud. During his subsequent prison sentence, he reportedly learned the art of forgery from an expert. He was released and, in 1994, acquired a stamp paper licence from the Government of India.

Counterfeiting career

He began printing fake stamp paper. He appointed 300 people as agents who sold the fakes to bulk purchasers, including banks, FIs, insurance companies, and share-broking firms. His monthly profits have been estimated as being in the neighbourhood of Rs 202 crore (US $20 million). [http://www.flonnet.com/fl2302/stories/20060210007612700.htm More details here]

The Telgi case brought corruption in the Karnataka police force to light, causing a national scandal in India. A videotape emerged in September 2006 of Abdul Karim Telgi taking a Narco Analysis test. Under the influence of the supposed truth serum, Telgi is said to have blurted out the names of Nationalist Congress Party leaders Sharad Pawar and Chaggan Bhujbal. Pawar has never been publicly linked to the case, but was forced to go public with a denial.

On 17 January 2006, Telgi and several associates were sentenced to ten years' rigorous imprisonment. [" [http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/full_story.php?content_id=86114 10-yr RI for Telgi in stamp paper scam] ", "Indian Express", 18 January 2006.]

On June 28, 2007 Telgi was sentenced to rigorous imprisonment [" [http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/jun/28telgi.htm Telgi gets 13 years jail, Rs 202 crore fine] ", "Rediff.com", 29 June 2007.] for 13 years and fined a whopping Rs 202 crore on various counts in one of the main cases of the scandal. Hours after Telgi pleaded guilty and repented his actions, Judge Chitra Bhedi of a special court pronounced the quantum of punishment under various sections of the IPC and the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crimes Act. This is the harshest punishment given to Telgi in any of the fake stamp paper cases he has been convicted for so far in Maharashtra and Karnataka. Judge Bhedi observed that she had taken a "lenient view" since Telgi, who is in judicial custody in Pune, had pleaded guilty and also because of his health. Telgi is HIV positive.

Bhedi sentenced 42 other accused in the case, who too had pleaded guilty, to rigorous impriosnment for up to six years and imposed fines on them. CBI counsel Raja Thakre moved an application in the court seeking the confiscation of Telgi's property to recover the fine slapped on him. Telgi, who broke down earlier in the day while pleading guilty, thanked the judge for "giving him justice."

Aliases

Telgi-ram, Telgi rama, Telgi-raman, Telgi-magan, Telgi-bhai, Telgi Bhagwan, Naya Tenali-raman, Naya Nayagan, etc.

Nicknames

Telgi The Great, Telgi The Stamp, Telgi-Stamp-paper-waalein, Telgi-note-chhapne-waalein, etc.

MovieFilm

Mudrank (The Stamp) is a film based on his life, though it has not yet been released [ [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Mumbai/When_real_Telgi_met_reel_Telgi_in_court/articleshow/3075133.cms When real Telgi met reel Telgi in court-Mumbai-Cities-The Times of India ] ] as Telgi was unhappy with Mudrank [ [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Pune/Telgi_unhappy_with_Mudrank/articleshow/2973856.cms Telgi unhappy with Mudrank-Pune-Cities-The Times of India ] ] . The movie-film is expected and will release soon.

Allegations of attempts to elimination by Police

It has been alleged that Indian Police wants to eliminate Telgi. It is also alleged that Telgi contracted HIV/AIDS while in police-custody [ [http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/nov/20inter2.htm 'Police want to eliminate Telgi' ] ] .

References