PUNE: Shaida Telgi, the wife of prime accused in multi crore fake stamp paper scam late Abdul Karim Telgi, on Saturday moved an application before a special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court here, requesting to recover the fine amount through the seizure of the property amassed by her late husband and which is listed as an illegally procured by the investigating agency.
Hearing in the multi-crore fake stamp scam involving many accused, including MLA from Dhule Anil Gote and others, was held in MOCCA court, which has directed CBI to file their say during the next hearing of the case in February next year.
Telgi, who passed away in Bengaluru recently, was tried by the special court in Pune in four separate cases, along with 66 others. Telgi had pleaded guilty to all these cases and was convicted by the court with an unprecedented fine of over Rs 251 crore.
The trial is still underway against 18 high-profile accused including Telgi’s wife Shahida, his brother Azim, nephew Pervez and then senior cops including former joint commissioner of Mumbai Police Shridhar Vagal, former deputy commissioner of Mumbai Police Pradeep Sawant, retired assistant commissioner of Pune Police Mohammad Chand Mulani, two MLAs including Anil Gote from Dhule and the other from Hyderabad, among others.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has listed more than 600 witnesses in the chargesheet filed in the Bund Garden case. Special Public Prosecutor Raja Thakare has examined around 135 witnesses till date.
Talking, senior advocate Milind Pawar, representing Telgi’s case, said Shahida has requested the court to seize property listed by CBI and recover the fine amount.
“Allah muze maff nahi karega (Allah will not forgive me) since Islam does not teach and preach to make gains from others pains,” said Shahida in her application.
Giving details of the case, Mr Pawar said the Bund Garden Police had unearthed the scam following a tip-off from late inspector Ramakant Kale and recovered fake stamp papers, stamps and printing press among other goods collectively worth over Rs 3,000 crore in 2002.
The gravity of the scam had compelled the Maharashtra Government to constitute a special investigation team (SIT), headed by former additional director general of police S S Puri.
The SIT, including DIG Subodh Kumar Jaiswal, had invoked MCOCA and arrested many accused including policemen, Government officials and politicians.
It has filed a voluminous charge sheet against all the accused for running and abetting members of the organised crime syndicate, headed by Telgi, in 17 states.
Though there were a large number of fake stamp paper cases registered against Telgi, the scam case registered with the Bund Garden Police station is regarded as one of the most important in India, because of the recovery of the printing press which no other state police could seize.
The Supreme Court on a public interest litigation had transferred all cases registered against Telgi, including the four cases registered in Maharashtra at Pune, Mulund, Thane and Nashik, to CBI. A special court was constituted for the trial in the scam cases. Telgi and 44 others had pleaded guilty before former special judge, who sentenced him to 10 years rigorous imprisonment and fined over Rs 251 crore in the Bund Garden, Pune case.
Telgi also pleaded guilty to three other cases and was sentenced to 10 years RI each and fined Rs 10 lakh each. (AGENCIES)
Follow our WhatsApp channel