All about Abdul Karim Telgi, the man behind Scam 2003 - The Telgi Story

Hyderabad: The highly anticipated web series Scam 2003 - The Telgi Story was launched on September 1. Hansal Mehta, the brilliant mind behind Scam 1992, was also one of the creative minds behind The Telgi Story.

This instalment of the ‘Scam series’ is based on Sanjay Singh’s book, Telgi Scam: Reporter’s ki Diary, and is now available for streaming on SonyLIV. Before you sit to enjoy the show, let’s dive into the intriguing life of Abdul Karim Telgi, the central character of this gripping narrative.

Country’s biggest counterfeit operation

Abdul Karim Telgi, a name infamous in India, served as the mastermind behind one of the nation’s most notorious counterfeiting scandals. Born in 1961, Telgi’s life was a complex tapestry woven with ambition, ingenuity, and criminality, ultimately culminating in the establishment of a counterfeit empire that sent shockwaves through the country’s financial institutions.

Humble beginnings

Telgi’s early years were marked by adversity. His father, the sole breadwinner, passed away when he was just a young boy. Telgi resorted to selling fruits and vegetables on trains to support his education. Later, he went to Saudi Arabia, only to return seven years later with a new and illicit career path in mind – counterfeiting.

The counterfeit empire

Initially, Telgi focused on forging passports and even founded Arabian Metro Travels, a company that facilitated the migration of workers to Saudi Arabia by producing fake documents that allowed labourers to bypass immigration checks – a practice commonly known as ‘pushing’ in the industry.

However, Telgi soon transitioned into a more lucrative venture – counterfeit stamp paper. He built a network of 300 agents to peddle these forgeries to bulk buyers such as banks, insurance companies, and stock brokerage firms.

The sheer scale of this operation was staggering, with an estimated worth of around Rs 30,000 crore.

Law catches up

The enormity of the scandal led to the implication of several law enforcement officers. In 2006, Telgi was ultimately sentenced to 30 years of rigorous imprisonment. The following year, he received an additional 13-year sentence and was fined Rs 202 crore.

Personal life and demise

Abdul Karim Telgi was known for his extravagant lifestyle, which included frequent visits to dance bars. He was rumoured to have been in love with a bar dancer named Tarannumn Khan, and it was reported that he once showered her with Rs 90 lakh in a single evening at the bar.

In 2017, Telgi’s life ended abruptly due to meningitis, exacerbated by longstanding health issues like diabetes and hypertension. In the end, Abdul Karim Telgi was a complex figure – a man of humble beginnings who ascended to create an empire, albeit one built on morally shaky ground.