On Dec 30, a Special Judge for CBI cases sentenced five individuals to three years of imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 2.5 lakh in connection with the notorious Telgi Bogus Stamp Scam.
The individuals found guilty in the case were Falguni Ben Babubhai Patel, Kishore Kumar Purshottambhai Patel, Prashant Nangappa Patil, Amzad Ali, and Shailh Zakir Hussain.
The charges they faced included criminal conspiracy, forgery of stamps, cheating, and possessing forged documents, as per various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The case, which had initially been investigated by the CID Crime in Gujarat, was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for further investigation.
The accused were involved in a widespread scam where forged stamp papers, court fee stamps, and share transfer stamps were sold in various denominations across the cities of Ahmedabad and Surat in Gujarat.
These individuals, both licensed and unlicensed vendors, were found to have knowingly sold counterfeit stamps, leading to significant financial and administrative damage.
The scam came to light in 2001 during a raid on stamp vendors in Surat and Ahmedabad, where a large number of fake stamps were seized. The fraudulent activity was traced back to two offices operating under the names “Sadguru Services” and “Sahay Services,” which were central to the operations of the scam.
The investigation revealed that the counterfeit stamps had been in circulation for years, undermining the economy and the integrity of public services.
The CBI had initially charge-sheeted 16 individuals in the case. However, during the course of the trial, two of the accused passed away.
Nine others were convicted earlier in separate proceedings. In 2008, five individuals—Shabbir Ahmed Sheikh, Shivaji, Khalid Ahmed, Vijay Solanki, and Jacob Chako—were sentenced to five years of imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs 25,000 each.
Subsequently, in 2009, three other accused, including the infamous Abdul Karim Telgi, received sentences ranging from five to seven years, along with fines.
The Telgi stamp scam, one of the largest in India, involved the creation and sale of fake government stamps used for various legal and administrative purposes.
These counterfeit stamps were sold by a network of criminals who operated across multiple states, causing immense losses to the state exchequer. Abdul Karim Telgi, the mastermind behind the operation, was arrested and sentenced to a lengthy prison term.
His arrest and subsequent conviction brought an end to a large-scale operation that had been running for several years.
The conviction of the five accused in this latest judgment highlights the ongoing efforts of the CBI to bring those involved in corruption and fraudulent activities to justice.
This case further reinforces the agency's commitment to upholding the rule of law and ensuring accountability, especially in matters that undermine public trust and state resources.
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