More names likely to come out: Telgi's lawyer

Pune, Oct 31 (UNI) Prime accused in the multi-crore fake stamp paper scam Abdul Karim Telgi's lawyer Milind Pawar today said more names were likely to be revealed in the confessional statement.

Mr Pawar told UNI that Telgi would reveal some more names involved in the scam in his confessional statement. An application seeking permission to submit the confessonal statement will be made in the court next week.

He said that some government officials, who had allegedly helped his client in the scam, were still holding high positions. They are likely to be named in the confessional stamement.

''The application for the confessional statement, in respect of the Bund Garden case, that had exposed the scam will be filed before the court on November 11,'' he added.

Meanwhile, a private TV channel, quoting Telgi, had said that around 200 groups were involved in the racket in the country and added that Kolkata was the hub of the scam. Telgi had told the channel that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) knew the ''kingpin of the scam'' and was covering the people involved in it.

However, when Mr Pawar was asked about the same, he did not confirm the information.

''I don't know anything about this, but whatever has been aired is nothing new and there are no fresh confessions,'' he said.

Around 13 senior police personnel, including former Mumbai Police Commissioner Ranjit Sharma, DCP Pradip Sawant, DIG Shridhar Vagal, ACP M C Mulani, are among the 67 accused, who have been arrested in connection with the fake stamp paper scam.

Two MLAs - one from Hyderabad and Anil Gote of Samajwadi Party - are still in the Yerawada Jail. The police first stumbled upon the racket in Pune and a case was filed with the Bund Garden police station in June 2002.

UNI SP/DWN SSS PA HS2340