SIT to conduct scientific tests on Totla in Telgi case

Mumbai, Dec. 24: Multi-millionaire Antim Totla would undergo scientific tests on Thursday at Ahmedabad to enable special investigating team (SIT) probe political patronage given to the prime accused in the fake stamp paper scam involving Abdul Karim Telgi, SIT sources said on Wednesday.

Totla, who had appeared before a Pune court last week and offered to undergo P-300 brain finger printing test, lie detector test and narco-analysis test to prove his innocence, would be taken by SIT to a forensic laboratory in Ahmedabad on a special court’s directive.

On a plea by SIT, the court had on Tuesday allowed the tests to be performed on Totla. The SIT said Telgi was subjected to tests earlier at Bangalore and the results were awaited. However, as Bangalore forensic lab’s schedule was already set, tests on Totla could not be performed there and SIT was forced to take him elsewhere, sources said.

The Mumbai High Court had last week allowed SIT to undertake these tests on nine accused, including Telgi, but restrained SIT from subjecting Ramachandra Rama Reddy, a suspended officer of India Security Press, as he had filed a petition challenging the special court’s order to this effect.

Totla was in the centre of controversy with the opposition in Maharashtra alleging that at the behest of Telgi, he had sponsored the Bangalore trip of DF legislators during the crisis in the coalition government in 2001. Totla denied the allegations but admitted that he was close to Maharashtra politicians. (PTI)