Stamp scam: one discharged, Telgi pleads 'not guilty'

Pune, June 26 (UNI) The special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court today discharged an accused for lack of sufficient evidence before framing of charges against 65 accused in the fake stamp paper scam.

The court also rejected all applications challenging the applicability of the MCOCA Act for the case.

Rejecting the applications, Special Judge Chitra Bhedi said the fake stamp paper racket comes under the purview of the MCOCA Act and prime accused Abdul Karim Telgi and another accused Shabbir Sheikh were booked under the Act, therefore, the same applied to all.

Before framing charges, the Judge discharged Madhav Devadiga for lack of sufficient evidence.

However, Telgi pleaded ''not guilty'' to all charges.

41 other accused, 26 of whom were employees of Telgi pleaded quilty under various Sections 259 (selling counterfeit) r/w 21(i)(d) criminal conspiracy, 256 (possessing counterfeit), 258 (machinery for fabricating the counterfeits), 468 (forgery) for which punishment can range upto life imprisonment and 471 (impersonation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Some of the accused, however, pleaded ''not guilty'' against some sections.

All the accused including Telgi, his brother Azim Telgi, lawyer Rashid Kulkarni, API Dilip Kamat, former Samajwadi Janata Party MLA Anil Gote and all the senior police officials, former Mumbai Police Commissioner R S Sharma, DCP Pradeep Sawant, DIG Shridhar Vagal and others were present in the court.

Telgi's wife Shahida, through a telegram, informed the court that she could not be present as she was admitted to a hospital in Bangalore.

The process will continue tomorrow.

UNI