Promotion? No problem for Telgi

New evidence of fake stamp racket accused Abdul Karim Ladsab Telgi 46 have come to light. The Indian Express has found that Telgi tried to use his 8216;8216;influence8217;8217; with no less than the Union Finance Ministry to get a promotion for Ganga Prakash, a deputy general manager of the high-security Indian Security Press at Nashik.

The recommendation was written on the letterhead of then Urban Affairs Minister Ram Jethmalani and forwarded to former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha on June 2, 1998, alleges a chargesheet filed before a special judge by SP C. K. Wakade on September 15. Wakade8217;s team found two copies with the letter: One addressed to General Manager of the Indian Security Press and the other to Jt Secretary, Ministry of Finance.

During questioning, Jethmalani told investigators that Maharashtra MLA Anil Umrao Gote8212;now in custody8212;had brought Telgi to him to pursue Ganga Prakash8217;s promotion. Gote and Telgi reached New Delhi on November 26, 1998.

The chargesheet alleges that Telgi knew about top-secret production programmes of Nashik press. This helped him print fake stamp papers with discarded equipment. Telgi8217;s link with Prakash is only the latest in a nationwide chain that extends to policemen and politicians. Investigators say it now appears that Ganga Prakash was Telgi8217;s key link with other officials at the Nashik Press.