Telgi gets 10 years RI

Special Correspondent

Four accomplices get 1 to 5 years

Trial for five others on February 15

CHENNAI: Abdul Karim Telgi, prime accused in the multicrore fake stamp paper case, was found guilty by a Special Court for CBI Cases here and sentenced to a maximum of 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. A fine totalling Rs. 3 crore was also imposed on him. Four of his accomplices – Abdul Wahid, C.S Balaji, Jacob Chacko and Peter Kennedy – too were convicted by the court and sentenced to undergo imprisonment ranging from one to five years.

Additional Special Judge for CBI Cases N. Velu asked the State Government to confiscate Rs. 28.75 lakh lying in the bank account of Balaji.

In respect of five other accused – suspended Deputy Inspector-General of Police A.P. Mohammed Ali, Inspector S. Sankar, Nizamuddin, Nazneen and Ramasamy Sadhu – the trial will commence on February 15, as they have pleaded not guilty. Sarfraz Nawaz who had pleaded guilty has already been sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for five years.

For counterfeiting government stamps, Telgi, was awarded 10-year RI and a fine of Rs. 1 crore was imposed. As for the charges of selling counterfeit stamps and cheating, he was awarded two-year RI each, in addition to Rs. 2 crore fine. Noting that the sentences would run concurrently, the Judge said Telgi’s period of imprisonment served in connection with a Pune court order would be set off against the present sentence. As Abdul Wahid and Jacob Chacko too were convicted by the Pune court, their present sentence of five-year of RI each would be set off against the prison term already served. Mr. Velu, noting that the accused were involved in counterfeiting and selling Government stamps, judicial stamp papers, court fee stamps and non-judicial stamp papers, said they cheated the public as well as the Government. He also severely condemned their criminal activities, saying it had jolted the economy.

According to the prosecution, Telgi used to send fake stamp papers by courier or through messengers from Mumbai, and they were stocked on premises in Anna Nagar N. Block and at Shenoy Nagar. Mr. Mohammed Ali and Mr. Sankar, the CBI said, abused their official position and facilitated the sale of fake stamps and stamp papers in Chennai and other areas.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/01/31/stories/2008013156630100.htm

Life imprisonment for 11 in Bilkis Bano gang-rape case

Special Correspondent

Not the rarest of rare cases to warrant death penalty: court

Head Constable gets three-year imprisonment

Seven accused acquitted of all charges

MUMBAI: Special Judge U. D. Salvi of the Sessions court here on Monday sentenced 11 persons to life imprisonment and a fine of Rs.2,000 on each count in the Bilkis Bano case.

Five-month pregnant Bilkis and her family were set upon by two jeeploads of men from Randhikpur village in Dahod district during the Gujarat riots on March 3, 2002. Four women and four children were killed and six went missing. She was stripped and gang-raped.

Jaswant Nai, Govind Nai, Shailesh Bhatt, Radhyesham Bhagwan Das Shah, Bipin Chandra Joshi, Kesarbhai Vohania, Pradeep Mordhiya, Bakabhai Vohania, Rajubhai Soni, Mitesh Bhatt and Ramesh Chandana were held guilty of murder, gang-rape and rape of a pregnant woman. They were also sentenced to 10-year rigorous imprisonment for gang-rape and raping a pregnant woman. The sentences would run concurrently.

The charges against the accused included conspiracy, rioting with deadly weapons, causing disappearance of evidence and unlawful assembly.

Head Constable Somabhai Gori of the Limkheda police station was sentenced to three-year imprisonment for framing false records and refusing to lodge Bilkis Bano’s first complaint. He was also fined Rs.3,000. Gori has already been in jail for three years and nine months and has been suspended from service.

The prosecution demanded the death penalty for Jaswant Nai, Govind Nai and Shailesh Bhatt, charged with raping Bilkis. Bhatt was the man who killed her three-and-half-year-old child Saleha, said the prosecution, adding that the attack was pre planned and it happened after Vishwa Hindu Parishad called a bandh in the wake of the Godhra train burning incident.

However, the judge ruled that the death penalty could only be given in the rarest of rare cases. In this case, the evidence was blank on the role of each accused.

The court observed that during riots many had secret agendas and they were not necessarily crusaders for their religion. Some looted, some plundered, some satisfied their lust and some joined a mob in killing.

The evidence during the trial also pointed out that some Hindus did shelter affected women. As things stood, all the accused shared a joint liability and the conspiracy theory was proved.

Seven persons were acquitted of all charges — Narpat Singh, Idris Abdul Sayed, Bikabhai Patel, R.S. Bhagora, Dr. Arun Kumar, Dr. Sangeeta Prasad and Ramsingh Bhabor.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/01/22/stories/2008012250100100.htm