Aurangabad: Man held for designing fake notes granted bail

CLEARED SKHER

Aurangabad: The Aurangabad bench of the Bombay high court recently granted bail to a Nandurbar resident, who had been arrested for allegedly designing fake currency notes.

He was arrested in connection with the fake currency notes of 100 rupees denomination worth of Rs 99,500 found with another suspect in 2018.

Javed Shaikh of Shahada in Nandurbar district was accused of designing the fake currency notes on his personal computer. He was booked under sections 489 (A) (B) (C) read with Section 34 of Indian Penal Code. The police had seized the computer hard disc and a printer. Eventually, the forensic science lab report came negative. Taking this report into account, Justice V K Jadhav granted him bail. He had been in jail since December 11, 2018.

Shaikh had earlier approached the sessions court seeking bail. However, the additional sessions judge rejected his plea on January 30, 2019. Then, he approached the high court through lawyers Joydeep Chatterjee and Sameer Tatiya seeking regular bail.

“The currency notes were seized from the possession of the co-accused, who had disclosed that the applicant had prepared the design of those fake currency notes on his personal computer. Thus, the hard disk as well as printer of the said personal computer was seized and sent to the forensic science laboratory, Mumbai. As far as the report pertaining to the printer is concerned, it is in negative,” noted Justice V K Jadhav.

The forensic analysis suggested that the two photographs attested by the police were not found in the hard disk and that the designs of Indian currency notes as mentioned in case were not found in the hard disk.

While allowing the bail application on August 19, the court observed “His (applicant’s) antecedents are clear. The applicant has a fixed place of residence. He is easily available for trial. In view the above and in the light of the examination report of the forensic science laboratory, Mumbai, I am inclined to release the applicant on bail.”

The court ordered that the applicant be released on bail on furnishing a person bond of Rs 20,000 and the condition that the applicant “shall not tamper with the prosecution evidence in any manner.”