Telgi's lawyer says CDs cannot be opened

Pune, Aug 5: The inter-state multi-crore fake stamp paper scam took a new turn today when Abdul Karim Telgi's lawyer alleged that copies of the three CDs containing taped conversations between the prime accused and others are ''corrupted and cannot be opened.'' Harshad Nimbalkar Nimbalkar who is representing Telgi said an application will be moved in the special MCOCA Court today.

''An application will be moved in the Special MCOCA Court today on the three CD's containing taped conversations between Telgi and others from the Bangalore Jail, that are corrupted and cannot be opened. The CBI had handed over the CDs without the transcripts violating the High Court Manual, and the Criminal Procedure Code.'' The Bombay High Court had earlier directed the CBI to hand over 14 CDs of the tape containing conversation between Telgi and others.

Talking to mediapersons, Nimbalkar said after the copies of the three CDs were handed over to them yesterday, they tried till 0200 hrs this morning to open them, and even computer experts were called to assist them. However, the only message that flashed was ''play limit,'' he said.

''We could not play any of the CDs, nor hear anything. Besides we were not given the transcripts that is mandatory as per the High Court Manual and the Criminal Procedure Code, that are mandatory in law,'' Mr Nimbalkar said.

The lawyer informed that Telgi had passed notes about what subjects he had spoken about and with whom between July 15 and August 10, 2002 (while in the Bangalore Jail) with government officials, politicians and people from different fields from Karnataka mostly in Bangalore, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Delhi. These needed to be matched and verified with the contents of the CDs, he said.

Mr Nimbalkar also said that the STAMPIT (the special investigation team from Karnataka probing the stamp case) had made Telgi listen to the CDs earlier and Telgi had penned down the list of persons which he (Telgi) gave to him.

To queries, he said that CBI's intentions are incomprehensible, whether they are trying to hide something.

''CBI has not done the things properly. They should have given these copies to the accused at the time of filing the chargesheets itself as they can use them as evidence, although they are not mentioned in the lists of exhibits,'' Nimbalkar said.

However, he pointed out that Telgi himself had expressed satisfaction and confidence with the CBI investigations.

UNI