Abdul Karim Telgi, prime accused in the multi-crore fake stamp paper case, on Monday urged the Special MCOCA Court to reject the CBI's April 15 application for issuance of a production warrant against him so as to allow him to make a confessional statement.
In his response filed before Special Judge SM Shembole, Telgi's lawyer Harshad Nimbalkar said, "It is not binding upon him (the prime accused) to make a confessional statement by law and nobody, including CBI, can compel him to make a confession."
"It is for the accused to decide whether he really wants to make a statement under section 164 of CrPC (recording of confessions and statements) and if so, at what stage of the proceedings," Nimbalkar, who was asked by the court to file his response to the CBI's application in this regard, said.
"CBI seems to have misconstrued Telgi's April 8 request to the court that as it was not possible for him to state certain things in the hearing being held through video conference, he may be allowed to present himself in person. This request of the accused, CBI may have misconstrued as Telgi's desire to make a confession," Nimbalkar said in his application.