Tuesday, January 11 2005 16:53 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Pune: The Special MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) court today (Jan 11, 2005) allowed prime accused in the multi-crore fake stamp paper case, Abdul Karim Telgi, to attend the last rites of his mother who passed away at Belgaum in neighbouring Karnataka yesterday (Jan 10, 2005).

Telgi's mother passed away in their native Belgaum yesterday after a prolonged illness, Harshad Nimbalkar, Telgi's lawyer told sources in Pune.

Special Judge S M Shembole also allowed Telgi's brother Azim and his nephews Tabrez and Parvez, also accused in the stamp case and in judicial custody at the Yerawada Central Jail, to take part in the funeral, Nimbalkar said.

Earlier, Telgi and the three others filed their respective applications seeking court's permission to perform the last rites at Belgaum, some 300 kms from Pune.

The court was informed that the body of the deceased had been preserved so as to allow Telgi and his kins to take part in the last rites.

Shembole said Telgi, his brother and nephews be taken to Belgaum immediately under tight security so that they could perform the last rites of late Sharifabi and were not allowed to stay overnight after the funeral.

A CBI constable would accompany the accused whose payment would have to be borne by Telgi, the order said.

The judge also directed Telgi not to contact anybody.

The court sometime back had allowed Telgi to talk to his mother and wife, both of whom he had said were ailing, over telephone once in a while.

However, last month he approached the court alleging that jail authorities have not complied with the court's directives in this regard, Nimbalkar added.