Six convicted in fake currency smuggling case; remanded in judicial custody

Patna: A special Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) court in Patna on Thursday convicted six accused in a Fake Indian Currency Note (FICN) smuggling case and remanded them to judicial custody at Beur Jail. The court will pronounce the quantum of sentence on June 3.

Those convicted are Zahir Abbas of Malda (West Bengal), Arvind Paswan of Aurangabad, and Kedar Paswan, Uday Kumar, Ajay Kumar and Santu Kumar of Gaya.

In a statement, the ATS said the court found all six guilty of smuggling and circulating counterfeit Indian currency in an organised manner. The conviction was based on evidence and witness testimonies presented during the trial.

Police said the accused were part of a network involved in supplying fake notes in the market, with the alleged intent to undermine the country’s economic system.

The case dates back to Jan 10, 2016, when an ATS team arrested the accused during an operation in Dobhi area of Gaya district. Fake currency worth around Rs 5 lakh was recovered from them. The seized notes were high-quality counterfeit Rs 500 notes, which were difficult to distinguish from genuine currency.

Following an extended trial, the special court held all six guilty and sent them to jail. The sentence will be announced on June 3.