Bangalore: Sleuths of the Special Investigation Team (STAMPIT) today (Jan 24, 2004) commenced a four-day interrogation of prime accused in the multi-thousand crore fake stamp paper scam Abdul Kareem Telgi following his reported offer to expose "big sharks" in the scandal.

Armed with the special court order, the investigation agency formally took Telgi into custody from Parappana Agrahara jail on the city outskirts and took him for customary medical examination and later questioned him.

The special court earlier this week passed an order allowing handing over of Telgi for police custody for four days following an application filed by STAMPIT, which submitted that the prime accused needs to be interrogated following his reported offer to make a confessional statement.

Telgi was quoted as saying by his former lawyer Abdul Rehman that he would disclose the names of "big sharks" in the scandal. Karnataka High Court had yesterday upheld the special court's order on Telgi, who had filed a petition questioning it.

According to Government sources, Telgi was "highly secretive" and did not divulge any information to facilitate unearthing of any fresh facts, when he was interrogated for 10 days by STAMPIT in August last year.

He was then highly guarded, secretive and unwilling to share vital information on the exact extent of revenue earned by him through his illegal acts and their end usage, the sources said.