BANGALORE: The stamp paper and embossing racket is set to take a new turn with the prime accused, Abdul Kareem Telgi, deciding on Wednesday to go ahead with his earlier decision to make a confession.

A few weeks ago, Telgi, who is lodged in the Yerwada jail in Pune, Maharashtra, informed a Special Court here that he wanted to make a confessional statement on the Madivala and other cases registered against him in connection with the racket.

Meeting

Telgi informed his advocate, M.T. Nanaiah of Bangalore, who met him in Pune on Wednesday, that he was prepared to go ahead with the confession.

However, he is not all that inclined to make the confession through videoconferencing, and wants to come to Bangalore and make the confession in person before the court.

Telgi had first made a confession about the racket in a Mumbai court.

A few years ago, the Government set up the Special Court at Parappana Agrahara to deal with all stamp paper cases registered against Telgi and others by the Stamp Investigation Team, which was initially in charge of the investigation. The case was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation on a direction from the Supreme Court. It is before this court that Telgi will have to make the confession.

`Sensitive information'

Telgi told Mr. Nanaiah that he had prepared the confessional statement and would place it before the Special Court of VishwanathVirupax Angadi. He said that since he would be giving sensitive information, it was better to make the confession in person rather than through video conferencing.

CBI's view

The CBI is of the view that the confession will not make a big difference to the cases.

The investigation in most cases is complete, and charge sheets have been filed. Telgi will not benefit much by making the confession.

He has already spent several years in jail, and the confession may only help him to get the term reduced.

Names to be revealed?

However, the confession may prove significant if he gives names of persons connected with the racket. "I want to make a confessional statement. I want to reveal everything," he told the court during the last sitting through videoconferencing.

Mr. Nanaiah told The Hindu that Telgi had already prepared a 400-page confessional statement, and he might make a statement before the Special Court here from May 22.

The confession, if it comes through, is likely to last at least a fortnight.

Mr. Nanaiah said it was for the Special Court to decide on summoning Telgi to Bangalore as the confession would have to be made before the jurisdictional magistrate.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail