Telgi to attend mother's funeral

The Special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act court on Tuesday allowed the prime accused in the multi-crore fake stamp paper case, Abdul Karim Telgi, to attend the last rites of his mother, who passed away on Monday.

Sharifabi died in her native Belgaum, in Karnataka, after a prolonged illness, Telgi's lawyer Harshad Nimbalkar told PTI.

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

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

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

Shembole said the four be taken to Belgaum under tight security. However, they should not be allowed to stay overnight after the funeral.

A Central Bureau of Investigation constable would accompany the accused and his expenses would have to be borne by Telgi, the order said.

The judge also directed Telgi not to contact anybody.