HC directs CBI to deposit 14 Telgi tapes

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday directed the CBI to deposit with a Pune court 14 compact discs (CDs) containing intercepted telephone conversations between the multi-crore fake stamp paper scam accused Abdul Karim Telgi and the other accused.

Justice RS Mohite passed the order on July 19 while hearing the bail plea of an accused, ex-MLA Anil Gote, who sought bail stating that the trial had not yet begun because the court is yet to hand over the transcripts to enable the accused to prepare their defence.

On Tuesday, he alleged that the name of a top NCP leader figures in the telephonic talks. Justice Mohite asked Gote to make his statement in the form of an affidavit. 

The CBI objected to Gote’s plea. “We will give the parts, which have relevance to their case,” CBI counsel Raja Thakre said. He said that three CDs had already been handed over to the Pune court trying the Telgi case.

The task of transcribing the 110 hours hours of conversation in various languages was a tedious one, he added.

The telephonic conversations between Telgi and the other accused were recorded by the Karnataka government when Telgi was in jail.