Court acquits accused in FICN case

Special judge Chakor S Baviskar acquitted Usman Hanif Shaikh of charges related to possession and trafficking of counterfeit currency, as well as offences under the UAPA linked to alleged terrorist activity through circulation of high-quality fake notes. Shaikh was booked by the Mumbai police’s crime branch in 2014.

MUMBAI: Twelve years after a man was booked for possessing and circulating Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) worth tens of thousands of rupees, a special court under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on Tuesday acquitted him, holding that the prosecution failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt and observing that the counterfeit notes could have been “planted”.

Court acquits accused in FICN case

Special judge Chakor S Baviskar acquitted Usman Hanif Shaikh of charges related to possession and trafficking of counterfeit currency, as well as offences under the UAPA linked to alleged terrorist activity through circulation of high-quality fake notes. Shaikh was booked by the Mumbai police’s crime branch in 2014.

The case stemmed from a December 12, 2014 operation by the crime branch’s Anti-Extortion Cell near Reay Road railway station, where police claimed to have recovered 86 counterfeit ₹1,000 notes from two accused — Adam Nijam Pathan alias Badshah and Shaikh — allegedly brought from West Bengal for circulation in Mumbai.

Police claimed 50 fake notes were recovered from Badshah, whose case abated after his death in March 2023, and 36 from Shaikh. Another accused, later found to be a juvenile, allegedly led investigators to another cache of 50 counterfeit notes stored in a rented room.

The court noted that UAPA sections were invoked on the allegation that circulation of “high-quality counterfeit notes” amounted to a terrorist act intended to destabilise the Indian economy. However, after examining nine prosecution witnesses, the court held that “no offence is proved against the accused”.

The court observed that the prosecution failed to prove Shaikh had “sold or bought or received or otherwise trafficked” fake notes, adding that mere possession could not establish trafficking.

The court also noted that no independent witnesses or CCTV footage from the crowded railway station area were produced. Holding that the prosecution evidence “falls short to inspire my confidence”, the judge acquitted Shaikh.