Man gets 5-year RI for circulating fake currency notes

Additional sessions judge S P Tawade,on Saturday,sentenced Barkat Ali Majid Ali (30) to five-year rigorous imprisonment for possession of three fake notes of Rs 1,000 denomination.

Ali hails from Malda in West Bengal and stays in Phursungi. According to the prosecution,Ali was arrested on November 26,2009 after he was handed over to the police by complainant Sunil Shivaji Harpade (35) from Phursungi. Harpade owns a shop in Phursungi run by his father Shivaji (70). On November 24 and 25,2009,Ali bought various items worth Rs 85 from Harpade’s shop and gave a note of Rs 1,000 and got back the change. The same incident took place the next day when he bought items worth Rs 65 and gave another Rs 1,000 note to Harpade and returned with the change.

On November 26,when Harpade used the same Rs 1,000 notes to pay his electricity bill,he was told that they were fake. He was shocked and went to a nearby medical store where he was told the same. He returned home and narrated the incident to his son Sunil. The duo looked for Ali in the neighbourhood but could not find him.

However,on November 26 evening,Ali again went to Harpade’s shop and asked for one litre of kerosene and gave another Rs 1,000 note. The note was similar as the earlier ones. The father-son duo then nabbed Ali and handed him to the Loni Kalbhor police.