Sayeed was just a pawn, says SIT

PUNE: Fake stamp paper racket kingpin Abdul Karim Telgi''s recent statement in Bangalore, stating that not he, but Mohammed Sayeed was the main conspirator in the racket, is being taken with a pinch of salt by Special Investigation Team (SIT) officials.
The SIT, which is investigating the scam, feel it is Telgi''s ploy to divert attention from him.
SIT officials point out that as far as 52-year-old Sayeed, a small-time businessman from Kolkata, is concerned, he is a master of preparing fake stamps.But leading a racket is not his cup of tea, they added.
"He fully co-operated with us when he was in custody for 14 days," SIT sources said. They added that after 14 days, Sayeed was remanded to judicial custody.
He could not afford any lawyers when he was produced in a city court and had no visitors when he was lodged in the Yerwada jail.
During investigation, it was discovered that Sayeed was totally bankrupt and had no money in his bank accounts. But he admitted that he knew most members of the Telgi gang.
Sayeed was also involved in the gang''s operations in Kolkata in the past and used to work along with Ramratan Soni,who too knew Telgi.
Sayeed was arrested by StampIT, Bangalore, on May 2, 2002, at No. 22/3, B Bright Street, Kolkata. Sayeed met Telgi in 1995 at Hotel Heera International in Kolkata and this is where Telgi probably got the idea of preparing fake stamps, sources added.
"From 1995 to 1999, Sayeed supplied gum wash, a component used in the preparation of stamps, to Telgi," sources said. But he was never in-charge of the operations, they added.
"Sayeed is a master in removing stamps from a packet without damaging the stamp and the packet and this skill was demonstrated by him to the SIT in Pune," sources said.
Sayeed was arrested on October 30, 2003, by the SIT, Pune, after he was transferred from the custody of Mumbai police, and was sent back to Mumbai after interrogation.
He has been booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) and is accused No. 58 in the case registered at the Bund Garden police station.
"He is a crucial link in the racket and may be called a co-conspirator, but not the kingpin," SIT sources added.