The Pune police probing the multi-million stamps and stamp paper scam have failed to procure custody of Abdul Karim Telgi. Telgi is the alleged kingpin of the gang that traded in fake stationary in over nine states from Karnataka.A Karnataka government order forbids any agency from taking Telgi out of the state. He is currently lodged in a Bangalore jail after he was arrested in August last year.Investigations are progressing slowly since most of the leaders of the gang, including Telgi’s brother, who is a Karnataka-based politician, and nephew are still absconding. Those arrested by Pune police are only the gang’s delivery boys. Meanwhile, the case has been handed over to the crime branch.Currently, police are scrutinising the documents and floppy disks regarding the circulation of the fake stamps and stamp papers which were seized during raids conducted in Mumbai.Confirming that Telgi’s absence was affecting investigations, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) S.M. Mushrif said today that Pune police would be moving Bombay High Court seeking his custody.He said within days from Telgi’s arrest last year, Karnataka government issued an order under Section 268 of the CrPC, preventing any agency from taking Telgi out of the state until investigations in cases against him in the state were over.Karnataka turned down requests from Maharashtra police to hand over Telgi on an earlier occasion in a counterfeit stamp and stamp paper case lodged at Nashik. It turned down a similar request by Gujarat police as well, he said.Mushrif said all the top leaders of the gang are still absconding. ‘‘Arrests could not be made on the available leads as these people are constantly on the run,’’ he said.Confirming The Indian Express report that one of the three seized printing machines had been auctioned by the Nashik press, Mushrif said police would inquire whether the norms laid down for disposing of worn out machinery from the Government Security Press were followed in this case.Meanwhile, Inspector General and Registrar of Stamps Nitin Karir has assured local BJP corporators that recovery of cost of stamps will be made only from vendors and not those who had purchased them.
