Bengaluru: Lodged in the Bengaluru Central Prison at Parapanna Agrahara, the multi-crore fake stamp racket masterminded Abdul Kareem Telgi, it is learnt is hoarding eggs in jail!

Telgi who was arrested in November 2001 after a massive hunt for him by the country’s top law enforcement agencies is debilitated and suffering from life threatening chronic ailments such as hypertension, diabetes, hypothyroidism and AIDS. He has been prescribed to have a protein-rich diet, largely comprising of eggs.

During a routine check at the prison premises an officer was perplexed when he found a stash of two dozen eggs in Telgi’s cell and sought to know why he was hoarding eggs when the same was available in the prison pantry and could be procured as needed.

“He may be insecure about his health and wants to ensure that he got his daily dose of eggs,” said an officer on condition of anonymity.

With his health taking a serious toll on him, the now frail and wheelchair-bound Telgi has sought the help of an attendant for his daily chores. As per the court’s orders a fellow convict is now allotted to Telgi who spends most of his time alone confined to a cell given to him. With his wife also said to be unwell, it is said that Telgi hardly has any visitors, after his daughter’s wedding.

Back in 80’s Telgi used to sell peanuts near a railway station in Khanapur in Belagavi district till he tasted blood in the 90s and got into racketeering by selling counterfeit stamps. He was arrested in Ajmer in November 2001 and has since been lodged in various prisons before he was sent to Bengaluru prison.