NIA court sentences two men to 7 yrs in jail for smuggling of fake Indian currency notes
Patna (PTI): Two men have been sentenced to seven years imprisonment by an NIA court here for being part of a fake Indian currency notes syndicate involving Nepali and Bangladeshi citizens, the agency said on Wednesday.
According to an NIA statement, the case relates to the seizure of fake currency notes having a face value of Rs 1,90,500 in denominations of Rs 2,000 and Rs 500, from Md Mumtaz at Sarkari Bus Stand in Bihar's Purnea on December 3, 2019.
The special court on Tuesday sentenced two accused to imprisonment and fine in the currency notes smuggling case involving Bangladeshi and Nepalese nationals, said the statement issued by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Mumtaz and Md Baitullah, both hailing from Bihar, have been awarded seven years imprisonment with fine of Rs 8,000, it said.
The NIA established the role of a total of six accused in the case. It found that Mumtaz, along with Baitullah, Golam Mortaza alias Citu, Sadek Mia, Biltu Mahto of Nepal and Md Munshi of Bangladesh, had conspired to procure and smuggle the fake notes from Bangladesh to India with the aim to destabilise India's economy, the statement said.
The NIA had, through different charge sheets, filed charges against all the six accused between May 2020 and July 2021. While Mortaza died in judicial custody during the trial, Mahto and Munshi were declared absconders in the case, it added.
According to NIA's investigations, the currency was collected by the accused from Mortaza and handed over to Mumtaz for further delivery.
Mumtaz was working under orders from Mahto. Mortaza used to collect the fake note consignments from Munshi, while Sadek Mia was an associate of Munshi, the probe agency said.
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Activists write open letter to Odisha govt flagging anti-Christian violence
New Delhi: Activists and rights campaigners John Dayal, Aakar Patel, Vidya Dinker and Harsh Mander have expressed serious concern over the alleged rise in violence and intimidation against Christians in several districts, accusing both Hindutva organisations and sections of the police of targeting the minority community.
In a strongly worded communication addressed to the state administration, the signatories said they had received disturbing testimonies from affected people regarding social boycott, denial of burial rights, physical assaults and police intimidation.
According to the activists, Christians in some areas were allegedly boycotted by villagers, while people who traded with them, employed them or provided them shelter were also targeted.
The letter also highlighted what it described as “gruesome” incidents involving the prevention of burials of Christians within village burial grounds and even on privately owned lands belonging to Christian families. The activists said there were cases where bodies remained unburied for days due to opposition from local groups, while in some instances burials were allegedly forced to take place in forest areas outside village limits. Funeral prayers were also reportedly disrupted.
The signatories further alleged that in certain districts the violence escalated into physical assaults on Christians. They claimed that some victims were tied to trees and beaten, while others were allegedly placed inside sacks and assaulted. The letter also mentioned a few reported instances of sexual violence and attempts to burn people alive, which, according to them, were stopped at the last moment.
Expressing particular concern, the activists said many victims had testified that police personnel joined hands with Hindutva organisations to force Christians into signing “compromise” agreements. These agreements allegedly required them to give up their faith and stop collective worship.
The letter also accused the police of registering serious criminal cases against victims of attacks instead of taking action against the attackers. According to the signatories, many of those attacked were detained in police stations and jails, while in some cases the police themselves allegedly played a direct role in intimidation and violence against Christians.
Stating that there appeared to be a “complete breakdown in the constitutional machinery of the state” in relation to Christian minorities, the activists urged the administration to uphold and protect the constitutional and religious rights of all citizens without discrimination based on religion, caste or creed.
The letter was signed by John Dayal, Aakar Patel, Vidya Dinker and Harsh Mander.
