With the release of Hansal Mehta's new series Scam 2003, we did a little digging into the life of the protagonist, Telgi.
Abdul Karim Telgi came from a modest background but was involved in various petty crimes during his youth.
He started printing fake stamp papers in the 1990s, essential for various legal transactions in India like property transactions, court documentation, etc.
Telgi's operation featured a network of agents and a printing setup that closely replicated genuine stamp papers.
His counterfeit papers were worth billions of rupees and affected the legal, financial, and administrative systems across India.
When a few fake stamp papers were seized in 2001, authorities investigated the operation and uncovered the massive scam.
Telgi was arrested in 2001 and faced a series of trials in various Indian states, including Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh.
In 2007, Telgi was sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for 30 years in one case and 13 years in another concurrently.
Telgi suffered from diabetes and high blood pressure. He passed away on October 23, 2017, while still serving his sentence.