Date:17/08/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/08/17/stories/2007081761580800.htm

Karnataka

High Court suspends sentence of fake stamp racket accused

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: The Karnataka High Court on Thursday suspended the sentence of a former doctor of a Bangalore-based government hospital, who is one of the accused in the multi-crore fake stamp paper racket involving Abdul Karim Lala alias Telgi and others.

The petitioner, Dr. Jnanendrappa, had appealed to the High Court against the verdict of the Special Court which had sentenced him to seven years’ imprisonment and to pay a fine of Rs. 14 lakh for giving false medical certificates to Telgi.

Dr. Jnanendrappa, a doctor at Victoria Hospital, had given two fake medical certificates to Telgi. He was initially arrested by the Stamp Investigation Team (STAMPIT) for being involved in the racket. Subsequently, the investigation of the fake stamp paper cases in Karnataka and all other States was taken over by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The CBI had chargesheeted Dr. Jnanendrappa and others in the Madivala police station case.

The Special Judge of the Special Court set up at Parappana Agrahara to deal with the fake stamp paper cases had on June 19, 2007 found Dr. Jnanendrappa guilty of giving Telgi two fake medical certificates and sentenced him to seven years in jail and to pay a fine of Rs. 14 lakh. Dr. Jnanendrappa had appealed to the High Court and sought suspension of sentence.

The CBI had opposed the plea, saying that his release would send wrong signals to society.

It said the nature of his offence sis such that bail should not be given.

Justice A.C. Kabbin suspended the sentence and asked Dr. Jnanendrappa to deposit a surety of Rs. 2 lakh and a surety of Rs. 2 lakh.

He also directed Dr. Jnanedrappa to pay 25 per cent of the amount fixed by the Special Court as fine — Rs. 3.5 lakh.