Southern States - Karnataka   

Telgi was allowed to operate from jail

By B.S. Ramesh

BANGALORE Dec. 2. The investigation in the multicrore stamp paper racket has entered a crucial phase with the Stamp Paper Investigation Team (STAMPIT) obtaining clues about the involvement of some jail officials.

Documents available and investigations point to the possible involvement of some senior officials of the open-air prison in Parappana Agrahara on the outskirts of Bangalore in the racket.

The prime accused, Abdul Karim Lala, alias Abdul Karim Telgi, had been lodged in the open-air jail, and the team had managed to tap his mobile phone and record his conversations.

While the phone conversations have generated information on the nature and extent of the racket, the investigators have not been able to pin down the jail officials, supposed to be hand in glove with Telgi.

Rules prohibit the use of mobile phones inside the jail and apparently officials connived with him.

It is said that Telgi also allegedly paid money to some of the jail staff for allowing him certain privileges.

He reportedly possessed several CDs pertaining to the stamp paper racket.

When a senior jail official, allegedly on Telgi's payroll, was transferred and another posted in his place, Telgi is reported to have not used the mobile telephone and CDs for some time.

Many of these findings have been corroborated by prisoners and their statements form part of the evidence that the team has gathered against the jail officials.

Telgi is also said to have offered inducements to some prisoners to work for him.

The transcripts of the mobile conversations make interesting reading and point to the fact that the racket was still strong when Telgi was in jail.

These tapes have generated a lot of heat with people claiming that they contained the names of several politicians and officers.

Asked about the involvement of jail officials in the racket, the team chief and Additional Director-General of Police, R. Sri Kumar, said investigations were still underway and that it would be unethical to comment on them.

He agreed that Telgi might not have been able to use mobile telephones and possess CDs without the knowledge of some jail officials.

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