Prime accused Abdul Karim Telgi on Thursday pleaded guilty to all the charges against him in connection with the multi-crore fake stamp paper scam.
PUNE: Abdul Karim Telgi, kingpin in the multi-crore fake stamp scam, on Thursday pleaded guilty before the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court here.
The case relates to printing, circulation and sale of counterfeit government stamps and stamp papers by an organised crime syndicate headed by Telgi, currently in judicial custody in Yerwada Jail here.
Of the 68 chargesheeted, accused 42 have already confessed to their role in the scam, which came to light here in mid-2002, before Special Judge Chitra Bhedi.
Telgi on Wednesday conveyed his desire to the court to plead guilty. Fourty-three others have earlier pleaded guilty in the case.
Former Mumbai Police Commissioner R S Sharma and two other police officers were yesterday discharged in one of the cases of the multi-crore fake stamp case after a special court found lack of evidence against them.
Telgi, who was seen crying, admitted to his role in the scam before Bhedi who asked him whether he was aware of the consequences and repercussions of his confession.
To this query Telgi, who is lodged in jail ever since his arrest four years ago, replied in the affirmative.
The judge then asked him whether he was aware of the loss to the national exchequer his crime had caused.
The scam mastermind said he was aware and repented his actions.
Telgi's lawyer Harshad Nimbalkar appealed to the court to take into account the fact that the main accused had been convicted in four other cases relating to the scam in other parts of the country when deciding on quantum of punishment.
Drawing attention of the judge to health condition of Telgi -- who is HIV positive and suffers from a host of ailments -- his lawyer pleaded that his sentence should not exceed 7-10 years.
This drew a strong reaction from the CBI lawyer Raja Thakre who contended that the court should not take a lenient view of the accused just because he had pleaded guilty and pay heed to to the public sentiments in the matter.
The judge told a tearful Telgi, who stood with folded hands, that the court was not obliged to take a lenient view of his crimes just because he had accepted the guilt unconditionally.
The CBI counsel told the court that the "crocodile" tears of Telgi should not influence the quantum of sentence and asked for 20 years jail sentence along with a fine of Rs 20 crore for the stamp scam mastermind.
"If he is shown any leniency, it will send a wrong message to the society and imply that one could get away with crime of such magnitude," Thakre maintained.
The CBI counsel said "he wished Telgi a long life so that he could serve the sentence he deserved to set a deterrent to such crimes against the country and society".
Lawyers representing other 42 accused who too had pleaded guilty appealed to the judge to hear their plea before deciding on the quantum of sentence.
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