HC asks CBI to transcribe CDs in stamp paper scam

Mumbai, Aug 8 (UNI) The Bombay High Court today directed the CBI to take instructions by next week from their director, so as to start transcribing the 11 CDs containing the alleged conversation between multi-crore fake stamp-paper scam kingpin Abdul Karim Telgi and other accused.

Justice R S Mohite was told that the copies of the original three CDs, earlier submitted to the special court, were also handed over to the 64 accused. The CDs were earlier submitted before the special MCOCA court in Pune.

Originally, there were 51 audio cassettes that were handed over to the stamp paper scam investigation team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by Karnataka police, who had intercepted 3,400 alleged conversations between Telgi and some high-profile people and some unidentified persons. These tapes were converted into 14 CDs by the CBI.

Earlier, the court had stayed the playing of the CDs following a petition by Anil Gote, a former MLA and an accused in the fake stamp-paper scam, who alleged that the CBI could produce only three CDs in the Pune designated court. He alleged that some of the CDs went missing and the prosecution had deliberately witheld few of them, in order to safeguard some top politicians who had spoken to Telgi.

Strongly opposing the allegations made by Gote, public prosecutor Raja Thakare argued that all the 14 CDs were well preserved. Only relevant CDs were produced before the court so as not to affect the case, he further argued.

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