NIA files charge sheet in fake currency case

The National Investigation Agency has filed a charge sheet in a Gujarat court against two people accused of possessing and circulating fake Indian currency having a face value of Rs 2 lakh.

The agency chargesheeted Vinod Nishad and Mahefuz Shaikh in the court of special NIA judge M K Dave under IPC sections for criminal conspiracy, possessing and using counterfeit currency notes, according to an official statement issued on Saturday.

Nishad and Shaikh are residents of Muzaffarpur district in Bihar and Surat in Gujarat, respectively.

The case was initially investigated by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Surat, which arrested Nishad and Shaikh on June 5.

"Investigation of the case was taken over by the NIA on July 25, 2019. It was revealed during the investigation that both the arrested persons hatched a criminal conspiracy with another accused Abdul Gaffar to purchase and circulate the FICN in the Surat and other parts of India," it stated.

Gaffar is still absconding.

"Shaikh purchased fake currency notes worth (with face value of) Rs 2,00,000 from Nishad in exchange of Rs 1,20,000 genuine Indian currency, who in turn collected it from accused Gaffar at Muzaffarpur, Bihar," the NIA said.

DRI officials had intercepted Nishad, who was carrying fake currency, at Surat railway station after his arrival from Muzaffarpur, and Shaikh who had come there to collect the notes.

"During investigation, the trail of money for purchase of FICN was established by NIA from the examination of crucial witnesses, certain documents and seizure of electronics articles," it said.