Help for Telgi: SC grants bail to B'luru jail officers

The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted bail to the then senior superintendent of Parappana Agrahara central prison, Bengaluru and his assistant, pending their appeal against conviction and five-year jail term for helping the fake stamp paper scam kingpin Abdul Karim Telgi run his racket during incarceration.

A bench of Justices N V Ramana and S Abdul Nazeer allowed a plea for bail made by P N Jayasimha and his junior Nanjappa in the case registered by the CBI in 2000.

"We are inclined to enlarge the petitioners on bail, subject to their furnishing security in the sum of Rs two lakh each with two sureties of the like amount with the concerned trial court," the bench said.

The top court also said the trail court may impose any other conditions for the bail of the petitioners.

According to the CBI charges, the petitioners helped Telgi to derive pecuniary advantage of more than Rs 165 crore by allowing him run his racket of sale and circulation of fake stamp papers in Delhi, Chennai, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, and Trichy. Telgi died on October 23, 2017. They were accused of receiving illegal gratification such as refrigerator, uniforms and shoes from Telgi.

In their special leave petitions, the petitioners questioned the Karnataka High Court's judgement of August 3, 2017, holding them guilty of criminal misconduct under Section 13 (1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The high court had reversed the trial court's judgement, acquitting them. The CBI contended that Jayasimha and the other officer provided Telgi a separate room in the Parapanna Agrahara prison and facilitated him to continue his illegal activities by helping him meet his associates and allowed him to use mobile phones in violation of the Karnataka Prison Rules.