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.
[edit] Biography
[edit] 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.
[edit] Arrest
Telgi was arrested in licence from the Government of India.
[edit] 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 Cr Rupees.[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."
[edit] MovieFilm
Wikinews has related news: Abdul Karim Telgi
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
[edit] 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
