Southern States - Karnataka-Bangalore   

Stamp papers seized in Hyderabad

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE OCT. 8. Officers of StampIT, Karnataka, have seized a huge cache of fake stamps worth Rs. 9.4 crore stored in a godown on the outskirts of Hyderabad with the assistance of other agencies, including the Hyderabad City Police. They have also arrested seven persons in this connection.

In a nightlong operation on Sunday, the officers raided four places in various parts of Hyderabad. The arrested have been identified as Sadashiva, alias Shiva, Abdul Wahid, Sadiq Kudli, Sarfarz Nawaz, Abdul Khuddus, Illiyas, and Sachin Kalgeen, a release from StampIT said.

The Madiwala Police had arrested Badruddin, Rafi, and Byroji Rao in Bangalore prior to the Hyderabad raid. It followed registration of fresh cases against Karim Lala and others for running the multi-crore stamp paper racket even when Lala was lodged in judicial custody at the Central Jail in Parappana Agrahara, Bangalore.

StampIT stated that all the arrested were the associates of Abdul Karim Ladsab Telagi, alias Karim Lala, the kingpin of the racket. They were acting on the instructions of Lala to circulate fake stamps in various parts of the country. The Delhi Police seized fake stamps and stamp papers worth Rs. 240 crore last week. The Chandigarh Police had also seized fake stamp papers and stamps worth Rs. 4 crore.

All those arrested in Hyderabad were wanted by police in different states. Sadashiva was wanted by the Hyderabad Police, Abdul Wahid by the Chennai Police, Sarfarz Nawaz and Sachin Kalgeen by the Chandigarh Police, and Sadiq Kudli and Illyas by the Pune and Bangalore Police.

With the arrest of seven persons, the allegations that Lala was organising the sale, circulation, and distribution of fake stamps and stamp papers throughout the country even in custody are said to have been substantiated.

Those arrested by the Madiwala Police have been remanded in police custody by the VII Additional Metropolitan Magistrate till October 21.

Those arrested in Hyderabad operation were remanded to police custody by a Hyderabad court for being taken to Bangalore for production before the court before October 9. STAMPIT is conducting further investigation.

Meanwhile, the bail application of Lala was rejected by the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday.

This was the second time Lala had approached the court for bail. Lala had preferred the present petition on health grounds.

The case is being investigated by StampIT, specially formed by the Karnataka Government in January 2002 under the Additional Director-General of Police, R. Sri Kumar. Lala, who was in the custody of the Pune Police, was brought to Bangalore to be produced before the Magistrate on Monday, and taken back to Pune.

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