imported>AgniKalpa at 07:11, 5 August 2021

2021-08-05T07:11:02Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2014}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2013}}
{{disputed|date=August 2011}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Abdul Karim Telgi
| image =
| caption =
| birth_place = [[Khanapur]], [[Belgaum]], [[Karnataka]], India
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1961|07|29}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2017|10|23|1961|07|29}}
| death_place = [[Bengaluru]], India
| criminal_charges =
| criminal_penalty = 30 years rigorous imprisonment.
| occupation = stamp paper counterfeiter
}}
'''Abdul Karim Telgi''' (1961-2017) was a convicted Indian [[counterfeit]]er.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/the-life-and-times-of-telgi/article19926959.ece|title=The life and times of Abdul Karim Telgi}}</ref> He earned money by printing counterfeit [[Revenue stamps of India|stamp paper]] in India. He died suffering from multiple organ failure in Bengaluru on 23 October 2017.

==Early life==
Telgi's mother was Shariefabee Ladsaab Telgi, and his father was an employee of [[Indian Railways]]. His father died while he was young. Telgi paid for his own education at Sarvodaya Vidyalaya Khanapur, an [[English-medium education|English medium]] school, by selling fruits and vegetables on trains. Eventually, he moved to [[Saudi Arabia]]. Seven years later, he returned to India, at which time he began a career in counterfeiting, originally focusing on fake passports. He started a business to export manpower to Saudi Arabia and opened a company, Arabian Metro Travels at [[Marine Lines | New Marine Lines]]. He used to create a number of fake documents that would facilitate labourers’ smooth passage at the airport even if their passport had an ECR ([[emigration check required]]) stamp or other issues that could raise red flags for immigration officials. This practice was called “pushing” in the parlance of manpower exporters.

==Counterfeiting career==
Telgi moved to more complex counterfeiting when he began to counterfeit stamp paper. He appointed 300 people as agents who sold the fakes to bulk purchasers, including banks, insurance companies, and stock brokerage firms. The size of the scam was estimated to be more than {{INRConvert|100|b}} <ref name=FE2003>{{cite news|title=Telgi Scam |url=http://www.financialexpress.com/news/telgi-scam/83736/0 |access-date=27 May 2011 |newspaper=The Financial Express |date=19 November 2003 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515034250/http://www.financialexpress.com/news/telgi-scam/83736/0 |archive-date=15 May 2013 |df=dmy }} </ref> One aspect of the scandal that caused much concern was that it required the involvement of many police officers and other government employees including Nikhil Khotari. An Assistant Police Investigator was found to have a net worth of over {{INRConvert|1|b}}, despite making a salary of only {{INRConvert|9|k}} per month.<ref name=hindu2003>{{cite news|last=Dharker|first=Anil|title=Telgi is so Indian|url=http://www.hindu.com/mag/2003/11/30/stories/2003113000110200.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040327203754/http://www.hindu.com/mag/2003/11/30/stories/2003113000110200.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 March 2004|access-date=27 May 2011|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=30 November 2003}}</ref> Several police officers were implicated in the case. [[Pradip Sawant]], then [[Deputy commissioner of police (India)|Deputy Commissioner of Police]], Special Branch, Mumbai, was discharged but subsequently reinstated after being found innocent. Then police officer S M Mushrif, known for the book ''Who killed Karkare'' took decisive measures on this case.<ref>[http://whokilledkarkare.com/content/sm-mushrif-0 SM Mushrif]. whokilledkarkare.com.</ref>

On 17 January 2006, Telgi and several associates were sentenced to 30 years [[rigorous imprisonment]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.indianexpress.com/news/stamp-paper-scam-telgi-gets-10year-ri/803372/ |title=Stamp paper scam: Telgi gets 10-year RI | publisher = Indian Express |work=indianexpress.com |year=2011 |access-date=7 November 2011}}</ref> On 28 June 2007, Telgi was sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for 13 years for another aspect of the scandal. He was also fined {{INRConvert|10|b}}. The Income Tax Department requested that Telgi's property be confiscated to pay the fine.<ref name=rediff2007>{{cite news|title=Telgi gets 13 years jail, Rs 1000 crore fine|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/jun/28telgi.htm|access-date=27 May 2011|newspaper=Rediff India Abroad|date=28 June 2007}}</ref> He had been in jail for 13 years.

==Personal life==
Telgi used to go to dance bars and once showered Rs 90 lakh on one bar dancer in one night in Topaz Bar at Grant Road, Mumbai.<ref>{{cite web|title=Dancing in the Dark All Over Again|url=https://openthemagazine.com/features/living/dancing-in-the-dark-all-over-again/|url-status=live|website=[[Open (Indian magazine)|Open]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Raided duo not on Richie Rich list|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Raided-duo-not-on-Richie-Rich-list/articleshow/1216411.cms|url-status=live|website=[[Times of India]]}}</ref> He was said to be in love with a bar dancer, Tarannumn Khan.<ref>{{cite web|title=Why The Dance Bar Ban Had To Go|url=https://www.cnbctv18.com/legal/why-the-dance-bar-ban-had-to-go-2245961.htm|url-status=live|website=[[CNBC TV18]]}}</ref>

==Death==
Telgi was suffering from [[meningitis]] and died on 23 October 2017 at Victoria Hospital, Bengaluru. He was suffering from [[diabetes]] and [[hypertension]] for over 20 years, besides other ailments.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Rao R.|first=Sunitha|date=26 October 2017|title=Telgi dead: Abdul Karim Telgi, kingpin of fake stamp paper scam, dies aged 56|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/abdul-karim-telgi-kingpin-of-fake-stamp-paper-scam-dies/articleshow/61244235.cms|url-status=live|access-date=2021-04-23|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
* ''[[Mudrank: The Stamp]]'' is a 2009 Indian [[Hindi]]-language thriller film directed by Shakir Shah based on the stamp scandal.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mudrank The Stamp|url=https://www.mxplayer.in/movie/watch-mudrank-the-stamp-movie-online-b0c20c7b0bd26cd169d1cd8e5b73424a|url-status=live|access-date=|website=[[MX Player]]|language=}}</ref>
* ''Paper'' is a 2020 Indian web series by [[Ullu]] based on the stamp scandal and stars [[Rohit Roy]] as Telgi.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2021-03-04|title=Scam 2003 to present the story of Abdul Karim Telgi’s rise and fall, find out who was Telgi|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/scam-2003-who-was-abdul-karim-telgi-his-story-of-rise-and-fall-7213739/|access-date=2021-04-23|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref>
* ''[[Scam 2003]]'' is an upcoming Indian web series based directed by [[Hansal Mehta]] and produced by [[Applause Entertainment]]. It is based on the 2003 stamp paper scam by Telgi and is a sequel to ''[[Scam 1992]]'' about the [[1992 Indian stock market scam]] by [[Harshad Mehta]].<ref name=":0" />

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Telgi, Abdul Karim}}
[[Category: 1961 births]]
[[Category: 2017 deaths]]
[[Category: Indian Muslims]]
[[Category: Indian fraudsters]]
[[Category: Indian counterfeiters]]
[[Category: Indian prisoners and detainees]]
[[Category: Prisoners and detainees of Maharashtra]]
[[Category: People convicted of fraud]]
[[Category: Crime in Maharashtra]]
[[Category: Corruption in Maharashtra]]
[[Category: Criminals from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian Muslims]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian criminals]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian people]]

Abdul Karim Telgi - Revision history

imported>AgniKalpa at 07:11, 5 August 2021