A local sessions court on Wednesday sentenced Abdul Karim Telgi to life imprisonment for his role in forgery, counterfeiting and cheating in the multi-crore stamp paper scam.
Mr. Telgi, who pleaded his case via video conference from a Bangalore jail, said his health was deteriorating each day. “I am a patient of diabetes, heart disease, kidney problems and my legs are paralysed. I am in urgent need of a kidney operation and my wife is seriously ill as well.” He prayed for minimum sentence saying that he was the only one responsible for his only daughter, who was of marriageable age.
The multi-crore rupee fake stamp paper racket kingpin requested the court to be lenient in ordering a fine. “I am penniless… cannot pay the fine. I have been in judicial custody since November 7, 2011… I pray for leniency.”
Three policemen — K.K. Parmar, A.B. Sonwalkar and Ganpat Jadhav — were convicted of insubordination, abetting and allowing Mr. Telgi to flee. Mr. Parmar was awarded a jail term of six years, Mr. Sonwalkar got a four-year term and Mr. Jadhav five years for misconduct and insubordination, along with a fine of Rs. 15,000 each. The charge sheet states that the officers “failed to comply with the instructions given by the superiors… failed to arrest or interrogate Telgi” and adds that the officers made false entries in the case diaries.
While accused Iman Chaudhry was acquitted of all charges, the court observed that seven others had undergone six to seven years in jail that exceeded the term of their charges against them.
