Fake Note Seizure: 4 Let Off As Statements Of Cops, Panch Witnesses Contradict

Mumbai: The special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court has acquitted four persons booked for possession and circulation of fake currency notes worth ₹20 lakh in January 2021. The court found that evidence produced by the police search team didn’t corroborate and was contradictory.

Mahendra Khandaskar, 52, and Abdul Khan, 26, were arrested on the basis of a trap laid on January 26, 2021. During the search, the police found low quality, fake currency notes without any watermarks from the two. Khandaskar is said to have told the police that he came near Hotel Pravin in Vikhroli to deliver them Farukh Chaudhari, 35, and Aamin Shaikh, 43, who were also found with their own fake notes. Later, Chaudhari told the police that they were meant for circulation in Boisar. 

In all, the police claimed that the accused tried to circulate 400 fake notes – 100 notes each of ₹100, ₹200, ₹500 and ₹2000 denomination, totalling to ₹2.8 lakh.

Prosecution failed to examine cops who were part of the raiding party: Court

The trial in the case started in June 2023, wherein the prosecution examined two panch witnesses and four police officials. The court noted that the prosecution failed to examine the cops who were part of the raiding party. Besides, the court also noted that police had not recorded the statements of independent witnesses.

While analysing the evidence, the court found the testimonies of police officials and the panch witnesses didn’t match. The court said, “This creates a shadow of doubt regarding the receipt of alleged secret information and the trap laid.” The court also said that the prosecution failed to prove that the accused were found in possession of machinery, instrument or material necessary for or used in forging or counterfeiting currency notes.

As per the court, the prosecution also couldn’t prove that they performed any part of the process of making or buying or selling or disposing of counterfeit currency notes and such material.