Bengal man sentenced to 7 years’ imprisonment for circulating fake currency

The NIA investigation revealed that Abdul Kadir and his brother Sabir Ali procured the notes from Bangladesh from one Karim Shaikh

A Special NIA (National Investigation Agency) court on Wednesday convicted a resident of Malda district in West Bengal for circulating fake Indian currency notes (FICN) and sentenced him to seven years’ rigorous imprisonment.

Representational image (Shutterstock)

The convict is identified as Abdul Kadir. NIA arrested him in October 2018 along with five others following a tip-off. The others included Rehan Abbas Shaikh, Shafahad Mukhtar Ansari, Anees Iklak Shaikh, Kishor Namdeo Fular and Rohit Nagendra Singh, all residents of Bandra (E), Mumbai. The arrests were made from Bhiwandi and they were found in possession of with ₹4.5 lakh of fake Indian currency notes.

After interrogating the men, the agency arrested more suspects--Samir Mandal, Sabir Ali, Abdul Kadir and Mohammad Shadab Khan.

The agency filed three charge sheets in the case - first in January, 2019, and two supplementary charge sheets in September 2019 and April 2021.

The NIA investigation revealed that Abdul Kadir and his brother Sabir Ali procured the notes from Bangladesh from one Karim Shaikh, still wanted in the case.

The two brothers had given the notes to Samir Mandal to circulate in the market.

As the role of Kadir was significant, NIA had pressed charges against him under various sections 489-B (Using as genuine, forged or counterfeit currency-notes or bank-notes), 489-C (Possession of forged or counterfeit currency-notes or bank-notes) and 34 (common intention).

The trial against other chargesheeted accused is still going on before the special NIA court.