BANGALORE: The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate here on Wednesday adjourned the recording of confessional statement of Abdul Kareem Telgi, prime accused in the stamp paper racket, when the latter expressed reservation over the presence of many security personnel and the possibility of tampering with the videoconferencing communication link.

The court posted the matter to Monday. Magistrate Vasant Kumar held the proceedings in the presence of two advocates representing Telgi, a stenographer, and a technician, for over an hour.

Answering questions, Telgi, who seemed to have recovered from his illness, said that he could not go ahead with his confessional statement in the presence of nine security personnel from Pune's Yerwada Central Prison. The Superintendent of Yerwada Prison and eight others were present.

When the Magistrate questioned the Superintendent, he replied that it was for security reasons he had deployed eight members of the prison staff.

Telgi quoted another reason. He said that he perceived chances of leakage of confessional statement by tampering with the videoconferencing communication network. "As I will name several high profile persons, I fear leakage of information, either through security personnel or through tampering with the communication network. I perceive threat to my security," Telgi said.

Making note of the reasons, the Magistrate adjourned the matter for the second time to Monday. Earlier it was adjourned as Telgi was admitted to hospital in Pune following complaints of uneasiness, fever and vomiting.

The Central Bureau of Investigation moved Telgi from the Bangalore Central Prison to the Yerwada Central Prison for security reasons. He is being produced before the Special Court in Bangalore through the videoconferencing facility.

On May 26, the Special Court permitted Telgi to make confessional statement before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate here through videoconferencing. The Special Court observed that the Superintendent of the Yerwada prison and a technical person could be present along with Telgi when he made his statement under Section 164 of Criminal Procedure Code.

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