Telgi wants speedy trial, ready to submit confessional statement

Pune, July 24 (UNI) Waving 650 pages of a confessional statement (CS) through video conferencing, prime stamp paper accused Abdul Karim Telgi today said he wanted to submit his confessional statement to the court for a speedy trial at the earliest.

In presence of Special Judge Chitra K Bhedi, Telgi, an HIV positive, said his 650-page CS was ready and he wanted to have a speedy trial before ''I die''.

The Judge asked him to make an application for the same.

Telgi requested for a production warrant to make the CS and not through video conferencing. He had also asked for better medical care at a private hospital for himself and his wife, who is also in a serious condition.

To this, the court assured that the best treatment would be given. He also asked for a bed saying he was suffering from backache.

The other accused, who requested for a speedy trial through video conferencing, were Ramesh T Chaturvedi, who said his family was on the streets and had taken to begging for a living, while Mohammad Sheikh Mohammad Hussain wept pleading for a speedy trial.

He said he was a post-graduate and belonged to a good family and worked for Telgi as he was unemployed.

Ramchandra Reddy and Siraj ud-din-Nasipuddi and Jitendra Top also made similar requests. They complained that the creamy layer of the accused like Telgi were given all kinds of facilities and enjoyed many benefits, while they were denied the same.

All the accused appeared before the court through video conferencing. However, former Police Commissioner R S Sharma, DCP Pradip Sawant, PI Dattatrya Dal, Vishwanath Andhale and two others who are on bail, were present in court today.

Tempers ran high after Justice Bhedi slapped a contempt of court notice on Telgi's lawyer Rashid Kulkarni for insinuating and alleging in his objections that her decision of opening the CDs was after a meeting with the Public Prosecutor Raja Thackeray in her chamber.

Constantly targeting the Public Prosecutor, Kulkarni said it was in violation of the Criminal Manual tabulated by a panel of former Chief Justices. However, the court said all the mandatory compliances were made.

The court in turn asked the court receiver, clerk and all those present in her chamber to file the proceedings of the meeting.

Suspended PI Dilip Kamat and MLA Anil Gote also gave their objections.

Public Prosecutor Raja Thackeray, Vinayak Apte from CBI and Avdhoot Chimalkar were present, while defence lawyers for Telgi Milind Pawar and Harshad Nimbalkar and Balasaheb Wagle appearing for Dilip Kamat were also present.

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