Mumbai: A special CBI court on Wednesday convicted
Abdul Karim Telgi and 11 others in one of the fake stamp paper
scam-related cases but rejected an application seeking to make
former Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh an
accused.
Ram Ratan Soni, one of the accused, had alleged that it
was during Deshmukh`s tenure as state revenue minister that
Telgi was granted the stamp vending license, so he be
impleaded in the case.
But the court rejected the plea.
The court, however, sentenced Telgi to life imprisonment
in cases registered at Colaba and Cuff Parade police stations
here, and at Economic Offence Wing. The cases were later taken
over by the CBI.
Apart from Telgi, three police officials and a government
officer were also convicted for assisting him.
The allegations against Telgi and others were that they
sold fake stamp papers worth Rs 70 lakh to some major
companies.
Police officer Kulwant Parmar, who investigated the case
registered at Colaba police station, AB Sonwalkar who
investigated the case registered at the Cuff Parade police
station, and Ganpat Jadhav who was attached to EOW, were
convicted for criminal misconduct.
Parmar, Sonwalkar and Jadhav were sentenced to six, four
and five years` imprisonment respectively. Shrikant Rane, the
officer from the Stamps Office, was also convicted.
The other convicts are Shabir Shaikh, Mohmad Yasin,
Ramratan Soni, Riyaz Mokashi, Mallesh Dhulannavar, Sanjay
Gaikwad, Daniel Kanikraj -- all convicted for conspiracy and
assisting Telgi for distribution and supply of the counterfeit
stamps.
PTI
