Court allows Telgi to confess on February 4 before magistrate

In a new twist to investigations in the fake stamp paper scam of nearly Rs 30,000 crore, a Mumbai court Tuesday allowed kingpin Abdul Karim Telgi to make a confession in a 1995 case and asked Yerwada jail authorities in Pune to produce him before a magistrate there on February 4 to record his statement.

This is for the first time a court has allowed Telgi to make a confession.

The matter pertains to seizure of fake stamp papers in 1995 by CID and is one of the 48 cases registered against Telgi all over the country, including Maharashtra and Karnataka.

Telgi is facing the charges of attempting to sell fake stamp papers, according to prosecutor Pradeep Gharat.

As Telgi expressed his desire through video conferencing to confess, Judge U D Salvi directed authorities of Yerwada jail, where he is lodged, to produce him before a judicial magistrate first class in Pune for recording his version.

The judge also directed the magistrate to expeditiously record Telgi's statement and send it to his court in Mumbai.

Other accused, including suspended police officer Ganpat Yadav, said they had no objection to Telgi making a confession as the trial was yet to begin.

Telgi had expressed his desire to confess through video conferencing on January 25 saying he would like to tell the court about his alleged role in the cases registered against him and others by Cuffe Parade and Colaba police in 1995.

However, the court turned down his plea to make confession in these two cases as the trial had already begun, but allowed him to confess in another case registered by Mumbai CID in which the trial was yet to start.