As the Opposition in Karnataka is busy digging for information on the wealth accumulated by the Gowda family since it came to power, the ruling BJP-JD(S) combine has resurrected the five-year-old Telgi case with the strategic release of CDs and documents where the stamp scam accused has named Congress leaders.

The latest ammunition is a couple of CDs of the truth serum test conducted on Kareem Abdul Telgi, prime accused in the multi-crore fake stamp paper racket, at the Victoria Hospital here on December 22, 2003.

While details of what Telgi revealed during his narco-analysis test have been widely reported over the past two years, this is the first time that the complete recording of the test has been made available to the media. The CDs of the narco-analysis, conducted by forensic psychologist Dr S Malini from the state government Forensic Science Laboratory for the Pune special investigation team, show Telgi slipping into a trance after being injected with sodium pentathol. Surrounded by an anaesthetist, forensic lab director Dr B M Mohan, paramedics and assistants, Telgi is cajoled and prodded into answering questions.

Telgi is initially forthcoming in talking about the origin of the racket in 1992. As the test progresses, he however becomes increasingly incoherent and occasionally non-cooperative.

Asked to name at least two politicians from Karnataka who have received money from him Telgi says, “It is against my principle to name politicians and police officers”. At another point he says “politicians are the backbone of this business” and later that “politicians are bad animals”.

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