Abdul Karim Telgi, who was convicted and jailed for masterminding a multi-crore fake stamp paper scam, died in Bengaluru’s Victoria Hospital on Thursday.

The 56-year-old, who was undergoing treatment for meningitis, was reported to be in critical condition a day earlier. Telgi had been in hospital for a week and was put on ventilator support after multiple organ failure.

He was arrested in November 2001 and sentenced to 30 years of rigorous imprisonment. He was serving his sentence in Bengaluru’s Parappana Agrahara Central Jail.

Telgi has had diabetes and hypertension for years and was allowed special privileges like an assistant in prison because of his medical condition.