Hans News Service New Delhi

A Delhi court has acquitted a man accused of circulating Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) worth Rs 7.5 lakh via the Bangladesh border in the national capital, citing several material contradictions that cast strong doubts against the prosecution. Amit Bansal, Judge of the Special Exclusive Court (NIA Act), was hearing the case registered by the Delhi Police’s Special Cell in 2018 under IPC Sections 489 B (using as genuine, forged or counterfeit currency-notes or bank-notes) and 489 C (possession of forged or counterfeit currency-notes or bank-notes) against the accused, Deepak Mandal, a resident of Malda in West Bengal.

The court said, “It is held that the prosecution has failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt against the accused. The accused is thus acquitted in this case.” According to the prosecution, based on a tip-off, a trap was laid on August 9, 2018, near the DTC Bus Depot in Khanpur, and a police officer acted as a decoy customer to buy fake notes from Mandal. The police alleged that Mandal was apprehended after he handed over two wads of fake Rs 2,000 notes (totalling Rs 7.5 lakh) in exchange for a dummy wad.

In its verdict, the court said according to the testimonies of witnesses, a black-coloured bag contained two polythenes that had the FICNs used by the accused, but the bag and polythenes were not seized by the prosecution, creating a “material lacuna” and raising a “strong doubt” on its case.