Wednesday, July 5 2006 16:47 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: Abdul Karim Telgi, the kingpin in the fake stamp paper scam, today (July 5, 2006) told a local court that he was ready with his confessional statement but wanted to undertake the exercise by personal deposition and not through video-conferencing.

"I am ready to give confessional statement anytime. It (making confessional statement) should not be through video-conferencing.I should be called to Bangalore," Telgi told Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vasanth Kumar via video-conferencing from Yerawada prison in Pune.

The Special Court trying the stamp paper racket had on May 27 allowed Telgi to make a confessional statement but only in cases in Karnataka in which charges have not been framed.

The Special Court Judge Vishwanath Virupax Angadi had rejected Telgi's request that he be brought to Bangalore for making the statement, citing security reasons, and said he could make it through video-conferencing from Pune.

Telgi had expressed concern whether proceedings during video-conferencing would be confidential, and feared 'tampering'.

Telgi's Counsel M T Nanaiah said "Video-conferencing can be tapped by various agencies" and his client wanted to make the confession in person.

CBI prosecutors had contended before the Special Court in May that bringing Telgi here involved high security risk and the Government would have to incur expenditure on arrangements.

Telgi has filed a criminal petition in the High Court praying for alteration of the order passed by the Special Court on rejection of his plea that he be brought to Bangalore to make the statement.

Nanaiah informed the CMM today that the petition before the High Court is slated to come up by the end of this week, following which Judge Vasanth Kumar adjourned the matter to July 12.



Telgi had told the Special Court earlier that his confessional statement, running into 400 pages, would name politicians, businessmen, doctors and police in the scandal.

"I want to reveal everything. If I am found guilty, I may be hanged. I want to make a confession before the truth dies with me. I want to reveal. I have made up my mind," he had told the Special Court.