WHAT IS TELGI SCAM?

y The Telgi Stamp Scam is one of the biggest scam in India.

The tentacles of the fake stamp and stamp paper scam, better known as the Telgi scam, has penetrated 12 states and is estimated at a whopping Rs 20,000 crore plus. Between 1992 and 2002, 12 cases were registered against Telgi relating to counterfeit stamps in Maharashtra alone and 15 cases in other parts of the country. The Telgi scam is by no means a case of police corruption and political connivance helping an ingenious crook to set up a fastgrowing dubious business.

KEY PLAYER
Abdul Karim Telgi, the prime accused in the multicrore fake stamp paper scam. Lala Telgis Code name was the son of a Class 4 employee in the railways. Abdul Karim Telgi (born 1961), son of late Sharifabee Ladsaab Telgi, an employee of Indian Railways was left to fend for himself at an early age after his father's death. He paid for his own education at Sarvodaya Vidyalaya, an English medium school, by selling fruit and vegetables on trains at the Khanapur station. He completed his B.Com from a Belgaum college. After this, he moved to Saudi Arabia. Seven years later, he returned to India and began to work as a travel agent. Later he worked in a Colaba guest house. Around this time he developed underworld links.

Background
y The sale of gum-washed counterfeit government stamps and stamp

papers was going on from 1984 allegedly by Telgi and his associates. In 1998, they installed a full-fledged printing house where counterfeit stamps and stamp papers printing was done on a large scale. y Arrested in 1991 by Mumbai police for cheating, he learnt the tricks of the trade from an expert forger in prison. He bribed his way out of the jail and bided this time. In 1994, he acquired a stamp paper license, set up at Mint Road and befriended people in the revenue ministry, stamp office and Nashik Security Press where stamp papers are printed. y In 1994, Abdul Karim Telgi acquired a stamp paper license from the Indian government and began printing fake stamp papers. y He used his political connections to get the machinery at the Nashik press declared as junk; brought it as the highest bidder; set up the machinery at his office in Mumbai.

Background
y Obtained the original die for printing in connivance with Nashik y

security officials and began printing Fake Stamp Papers. His excellent political connections to procure imported paper. Friends at the Nashik press informed him about the serial numbers of papers being published during the month. Telgis Fakes carried the same numbers and reached the Mumbai markets The Fakes were then distributed to authorized members and sold along with genuine ones. Telgi bribed officials to create a shortage in the supply of stamp papers. The sale of counterfeits was carried out through a network of offices opened by Telgi in different parts of Maharashtra, including Mumbai, Thane and Pune. As many as 43 stations were taken on rent in these three cities by the syndicate for sale and printing of these material and 123 bank accounts opened for realising the sale proceeds. Telgi employed a simple method to expand his illegal business. His agents would first talk to the henchmen of politicians.

Network Of The Scam

y 13 States y 176 offices y 1000 employees y 123 bank accounts in 18 cities y 43 stations for sale y 72 centers y More than 20,000crores