Scam 2003 - The Telgi Story: A Web Series on India’s Biggest Counterfeiting Scandal

SonyLIV, the OTT platform of Sony Pictures Networks India, is all set to launch its next original web series, Scam 2003 - The Telgi Story, based on the real-life story of Abdul Karim Telgi, the mastermind behind India’s biggest counterfeiting scandal. The web series is a sequel to the critically acclaimed Scam 1992 - The Harshad Mehta Story, which was based on the stock market scam of 1992. The web series will stream on SonyLIV from September 10, 2023.

Abdul Karim Telgi was born in 1961 in Khanapur, Karnataka. He started his career as a fruit vendor and later moved to Saudi Arabia. He returned to India and began to counterfeit passports and other documents. He then moved to more complex counterfeiting when he began to print fake stamp paper. He appointed 300 agents who sold the fakes to bulk purchasers, including banks, insurance companies, and stock brokerage firms. He also bribed several police officers and government officials to protect his illegal business. The size of the scam was estimated to be around ₹30,000 crore1.

Telgi was arrested in 2001 and was sentenced to 30 years of rigorous imprisonment in 2006. He was also fined ₹10 billion2. He died in 2017 due to multiple organ failure3.

The web series will depict the rise and fall of Telgi and his counterfeit empire. It will also expose the nexus between the criminals and the corrupt system. The web series is directed by Hansal Mehta and features Pratik Gandhi as Abdul Karim Telgi, along with Shreya Dhanwanthary, Rajesh Sharma, Sharib Hashmi, and Anjali Patil in pivotal roles.

Scam 2003 - The Telgi Story promises to be a thrilling and gripping watch for the viewers who love crime drama and investigative journalism. It will also shed light on one of the most notorious scams in Indian history that shook the nation.

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