New Delhi, Sep 6 (PTI) The thrilling story behind India’s biggest stamp paper scam, masterminded by Abdul Karim Telgi, will hit the stands in Hindi and English on September 11, publisher HarperCollins India announced on Wednesday.
Written by journalist Sanjay Singh, “Telgi: A Reporter’s Diary” delves deep into the mind of Telgi, who built an extensive counterfeit empire worth thousands of crores and kept the racket flourishing for more than a decade by involving not just government officials but also management executives.
While the Mumbai Police arrested Telgi in 2001 for arguably the biggest fake stamp paper scam in Indian history at an estimated Rs 30,000 crore, Singh, then a young reporter with a TV channel, exposed the scam in 2003 and discovered that there was more to it than just the mindboggling numbers.
“During the course of this investigative reporting, I went through many new, thrilling, and terrifying experiences. Facing tests of truth, money, punishment, and division. Had to deal with powerful politicians and dangerous policemen. Encountered temptations and threats.
“Even the former home minister and deputy chief minister of Maharashtra threatened me with chappal at a crowded press conference. But I did not lose courage and continued to chase news like a ghost. This book is also a testament to the persistence of that effort. Do not view the journalism of 2003 through the lens of 2023,” Singh said in a statement.
Telgi came into the notice of the police, politicians and the underworld after he spent more than Rs 80 lakh on a dancer in a Mumbai dance bar in the late 1990s.
The book is a result of deep investigative work, in-person interviews and confidential case documents, and explores how Telgi, who used to sell peanuts on a railway station at one point, became so rich.
“As someone who broke the Telgi Scam news, Sanjay Singh is the best person to tell this story. In Telgi: A Reporter’s Diary, Sanjay takes readers on an exciting investigative trail as he shares what led him to this story and how this turned out to be the scam of the century. A must-read for anyone who loves investigative journalism,” Sachin Sharma, associate publisher at HarperCollins India, said. PTI MAH MG MG
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