New Delhi, March 3: In a significant ruling regarding the fake Indian currency notes (FICN) case from 2015, a special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Visakhapatnam has convicted seven individuals and sentenced them to imprisonment. The court imposed sentences ranging from seven to ten years of simple imprisonment, along with fines, under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The convicted individuals include Saddam Hussain, Rostam, Amirul Haque, Mohammad Hakim Sheikh, another Saddam Hussain from Bengaluru, Syed Imran, and Mohammad Akbar Ali, hailing from Assam, West Bengal, and Karnataka. The NIA’s investigation revealed that this group was involved in smuggling high-quality counterfeit Indian notes across the India-Bangladesh border, intending to circulate them in different parts of the country. According to the agency, this conspiracy aimed to disrupt India’s financial security.
Saddam Hussain (Barpeta, Assam) received a ten-year sentence and a fine of ₹5,000 under Section 16 of the UAPA. He was arrested in September 2015 at Visakhapatnam railway station with ₹5,01,500 in counterfeit notes, following an operation by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).
The court also sentenced Amirul Haque (Barpeta, Assam) to ten years of simple imprisonment and a fine of ₹5,000 (with an additional year if the fine is not paid) under Section 18. Rostam (Malda, West Bengal) received a seven-year sentence and a fine of ₹2,000 (with an additional eight months if unpaid) under Section 20. Mohammad Hakim Sheikh (Malda, West Bengal) was sentenced to eight years and a fine of ₹5,000 (one additional year for default) under Section 18. Another Saddam Hussain (Bengaluru, Karnataka) received a seven-year sentence and a fine of ₹2,000 (with an additional eight months for default) under Section 20. Additionally, Syed Imran (Mysore, Karnataka) and Mohammad Akbar Ali (Kamrup, Assam) were also sentenced to seven years and a fine of ₹2,000 (with an additional eight months for default) under Section 20. Notably, Syed Imran had previously been convicted in another FICN case by the NIA in Visakhapatnam.
Following initial action by the DRI, the NIA took over the investigation in December 2015. The agency filed its first charge sheet against Saddam Hussain in July 2016, while supplementary charge sheets against the other six defendants were submitted in 2018 and 2019. This court ruling is viewed as a strong message against conspiracies aimed at undermining the country’s economic stability through counterfeit currency.
My name is Narendra Jijhontiya. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including TECHNOLOGY, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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