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Journalism of Courage
The CBI today brought the suspended general manager and works manger of the Nashik-based India Security Press (ISP) to Delhi for interrogation. Apart from the fake stamp-paper case involving Abdul Karim Telgi, the CBI plans to focus its interrogation of general manager Ganga Prakash and works manager Mahinder Singh on the 18 lakh passports that were declared defective during Prakash’s tenure at the Nashik press.
According to sources, the ISP printed around 64 lakh blank passports between 1997 and 1999, out of which 18 lakh were declared defective. Sources say this was the largest number of passports declared defective during any period of time. The CBI is now probing whether the passports were actually burnt or were circulated and if Telgi was somehow involved in this too.
The CBI has been investigating the role of ISP employees in the Telgi case since June when it registered a preliminary enquiry. On September 19, it arrested five persons, including Prakash and Singh. The duo was accused of helping Telgi by giving him technical know-how for printing stamps and non-judicial stamp papers. Singh was in-charge of the ISP’s disposal cell at the time and he allegedly allowed Telgi to visit the letter press section.
While the SIT is still probing the Telgi scam in Maharashtra, five stamp scam related cases have come down to the CBI. These include two cases involving the Nashik press and one each from Gujarat, AP and Delhi. While the direct involvement of Telgi has been established in the Nashik and Gujarat cases, the CBI is probing his role in the other cases.
In the most recent case referred to it by the UP government, the CBI has lodged an FIR against Sunil Kumar Srivastava and Ajeet Kumar Pathak for allegedly selling fake stamp-papers worth Rs 39,500.
The agency hopes to gain custody of Telgi in the Gujarat case, the next date of hearing is January 7, in which Khalid Ahmed and Shabbir Ahmed Sheikh have been accused of heading a distribution network of fake stamp-papers. Delhi Government passed over a stamp case to CBI on September 29 in which N.S. Thakur was accused of selling fake stamps to banks and MNCs.
