Court raps cops for lack of supervision in fake currency cases

A court here has rapped Delhi Police for lack of proper supervision in the "heinous offence" of using forged currency notes "which corrupts the economy of the nation" while sentencing a man caught with five fake Rs 1,000 notes to two-and-a-half years in jail.
Additional Sessions Judge Ajay Kumar Jain said, "The police did not take sincere steps to get into depth of the matter and have not taken appropriate steps to catch the syndicate which is under operation."
The judge said the police had also concealed some facts of the case which suggested that the "investigating officer avoided apprehending the real culprits who were creating the menace of forged currency".

"There appears to be no proper supervision by higher police officials in such a heinous offence which corrupts the economy of nation," the court said, adding the police did not make any effort to crack the "real web of this forged currency syndicate".
According to the police, on September 8, 2014, Imran was apprehended by public in a market here when he was running away after giving a fake note of Rs 1,000 to the complainant after making a purchase from him.
Imran's disclosure statement revealed there was another person Faizul from whom he had procured the notes but the police failed to arrest him saying he could not be found.

The court, while taking strong exception to the police not being able to arrest the main person, said, "The police ritualised the completion of investigation over the name of Faizul by stating that they had searched him at various places that too without any specific addresses, but he was not found.

"However, no benefit of the said lapse of the police could be given to the present accused Imran against whom there is credible evidence of possession and use of forged currency."
While convicting Imran, the court relied on the testimony of the complainant and the police, and rejected the contention of the accused that no independent witness was examined, saying that the "court has to see the quality of evidence, not the quantity" and that "it is a known fact that public witness are always averse to join the police investigation".

"The complainant is an independent public witness to whom the counterfeit currency note was given for purchase of suit and he categorically explained the entire incident. His testimony regarding the incident remain unimpeached.
"Therefore, in present facts and circumstances when the testimony of complainant is found to be credible, then non-joining of any other public witness is not at all going to affect the veracity of prosecution case," it said.
Imran, a resident of Sangam Vihar in south Delhi, was held guilty of offences under sections 489 B (using as genuine, forged or counterfeit currency-notes or bank-notes) and C (possession of forged or counterfeit currency-notes or bank-notes) of the IPC.