Abdul Karim Telgi
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<> Abdul Karim Telgi (born 1961), son of late Sharifabee Ladsaab Telgi (mother),[1] is a convicted-counterfeiter from India. He earned money by printing counterfeit stamp paper in 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.[1] 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.
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 (slightly more than US $40 million).
The size of the scam was estimated to be more than ₹43,000 crore (US$Formatting error: invalid input when rounding).[2]
The Telgi case brought corruption in the Karnataka police force to light, causing a national scandal in India.[3] 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.[4]
On June 28, 2007 Telgi was sentenced to rigorous imprisonment [5] 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 Bedi 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. Honorable Judge Chitra Bedi 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.
Honorable Judge Chitra Bedi 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 Thakare 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."
MovieFilm
Mudrank (The Stamp) is a film based on his life, though it has not yet been released[6] as Telgi was unhappy with Mudrank.[7] The movie-film is expected and will release soon.
As of 2010, it has been reported by various sources that the film has been cancelled.
Producer- Vishal Srivastava. Pune
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.[8]
See also
References
- ^ The Hindu : Karnataka News : Telgi attends mother's funeral
- ^ "[1]", Financial Express, 10 February 2010.
- ^ "Telgi is so Indian", The Hindu, 30 November 2003.
- ^ "10-yr RI for Telgi in stamp paper scam", Indian Express, 18 January 2006.
- ^ "Telgi gets 13 years jail, Rs 202 crore fine", Rediff.com, 29 June 2007.
- ^ When real Telgi met reel Telgi in court-Mumbai-Cities-The Times of India
- ^ Telge unhappy with Mudrank-Pune-Cities-The Times of India
- ^ 'Police want to eliminate Telgi'
