Firoz.T.Totanawala The Bangalore Metro Reporter THE SBM STAMP PAPER SCAM- 2 THE SHOCKING WHITE COLLAR SCAM BY A BANK & REGISTRATION DEPARTMENT!

By Firoz.T.Totanawala

The Bangalore Metro Reporter

THE SBM STAMP PAPER SCAM-2 

THE SHOCKING WHITE COLLAR SCAM BY A BANK & REGISTRATION DEPARTMENT! 

 Most of us are shocked and frustrated over the Kareem Telgi Stamp Paper scam and consider it a black spot on the Registration Department. But, you will be more astonished over this SBM Stamp paper scam which we bring to you in series and details. We call it a white collar scam because; this has been done in the broad day-light under the very noses of the ‘babus’ with the connivance of the relevant Bank. This would bow the heads in shame for the failure of introducing an effective and a fool-proof alternative system of revenue collection despite the Government having several efficient administrative officers in its corridor. Indeed, the Kareem Telgi Scam appears quite small compared to the scam our elected authorities have operated. There are multiple blunders accrued in this scam and most importantly it is by our own authorized officials, who are liable for safeguarding the public treasury. Here it is unfolded in detail for you. 

 THE 2nd BLUNDER- 

SBM PRINTS ITS OWN DIFFERENT STYLE STAMP PAPERS WITH ITS NAME ON IT! IT LAPSES THE SECURITY FEATURES! 

 In our last issue we revealed that the State Bank of Mysore has no written agreement with the Government to print and sell Stamp Papers of various denominations on its own. While SBM was instructed to issue a receipt against accepting registration charges paid by the citizens, SBM started printing a special paper for preparing document in place of receipts, this also without any authorization. This added to the trouble and unofficially brought back Stamp paper into the system from the back door, while the whole exercise was to get rid of the Stamp Paper in the wake of Karim Telgi Stamp Paper scam. 

 Legally speaking, only the Government of India has the exclusive jurisdiction over the machinery provision of stamp act including printing of papers, where as the SBM has been printing the papers on its own. (Refer Note by IGR & CS dt-21/02/04. 

 If you check the website of Department of Stamps and Registration, Government of Karnataka, it clearly mentions the requisites of a genuine Stamp Paper and considers any variation as to being a fake Stamp Paper. Though illegal in first place to print Stamp Paper on its own, the SBM printed Stamp Papers also do not carry requisites of a genuine Stamp Paper. The Stamp Papers printed by SBM bears the name of the Bank, rather than that of Government of India or of the State. That legally makes a document, a property of SBM and not that of the State Government. Hence, it actually should be valueless in the court of Law and therefore all the transactions undertaken through these papers shall stand meaningless. 

 The unanswerable questions are what made the SBM so blatant to go ahead and print the Stamp Paper itself? Are the authorities of SBM unaware of Stamp Paper Act? Don’t they know that they cannot print the Stamp Papers? Why have they printed the Stamp papers with their own design? How can they print the name of their Bank on a Government Document? 

 The SBM stamp papers were of different denominations, in different colours and in different designs and even receipts for stamp duty for registerable articles were being issued through these stamp papers. 

 The act of SBM in printing, selling and circulating stamp papers of various denominations amount to fabricating the stamp papers, which are punishable under various sections of IPC and Cr.PC. 

 LAPSES IN SECURITY FEATURES 

 The already illegal denomination wise Stamp Papers printed and sold by SBM, also have lapses in its security features. Shockingly, the Stamp Papers in various denominations are printed by different private printers in different styles. We observed the following differences in Stamp Papers. 

 1) 5th March 2004- The Stamp Papers were very light in colour, signed as proper officer/ SS number. 

On the top, it is written as, “Issued by State Bank of Mysore on Behalf of Government of Karnataka, Certified that a sum of Rs. 20/- (Rupees Twenty only) has been paid towards Karnataka Stamp duty by Sri….. The number 20/- is also printed in all the 4 corners in black colour. In addition, the logo of SBM is clearly visible in the middle of the stamp paper header. However, the mark of Government of Karnataka is missing. 

 2) Now check another Rupee 20/- Stamp paper of 15th June 2004. All the features are different on this stamp paper. It is dark in colour, signed as Authorized Agent to collect stamp duty on behalf of Government of Karnataka. On the top, it is written as, (left side) Government of Karnataka, Registration & stamp department & (right side) Issued by State Bank of Mysore, Certified that a sum of Rs. 20/- (Rupees Twenty only) has been paid towards Karnataka Stamp duty by Sri….. Also Rs. 20/- in number printed in all the 4 corners here is in white colour. In addition, the SBM logo is shifted on the top of the stamp paper and the trade mark of Government of Karnataka is also visible. 

 3) Further, please refer to the website of Department of Stamps & Registration and check their comments about a fake stamp paper. The department website says that genuine adhesive stamps, stamp papers and non judicial stamp papers have the following features- Impressed papers of lower denominations are in uniform colour with water mark of Ashoka pillar and the words Satyamevajayate on the plain part of it in Devanagari Script. None of these security features are seen in SBM stamp papers. 

 4) Now see the original stamp papers which are from Government printing press Nasik. All the above mandatory security features are available.