SARVAR KHAN, Vs. STATE OF UTTARAKHAND

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THESE three criminal appeals are directed against the common judgment and order and the incident in all these appeals as well as the evidence is the same, as such all are being disposed of by this common judgment and order.

(2.) THESE three appeals, preferred by the appellants Under Section 374(2) of The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (hereinafter to be referred as Cr.P.C.), are directed against the common judgment and order dated 15.12.2007 passed by the Sessions Judge, U.S. Nagar in S.T. No. 214 of 2006 State v. Ranjeet Singh @ Raja and Ors., thereby convicting and sentencing all the appellants/accused Under Section 489A of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (hereinafter to be referred as I.P.C.) and sentencing each of them to ten years' R.I. with fine of Rs. 25,000/ - each and in default, the defaulter was directed to undergo further one year's simple imprisonment. Each of the appellants/accused was further convicted and sentenced Under Section 489C IPC for five years' RI. Both the sentences were directed to run concurrently. However, all the appellants/accused were acquitted for the offence punishable Under Section 489B IPC.

(3.) IN brief, the prosecution case is that on 10.6.2006, S.I. Abdul Kalam (PW1) along with S.I. D.R. Tamta (PW3), H.C. Chandrapal Singh (PW2), Constable Ikhtiyar Hussain, Constable Tejveer Singh, Constable Jitendra Pal Singh, Constable Neeraj Pal and also the employees of SOG Staff, namely, S.I. Vikas Kumar, H.C. Mukesh Tyagi had moved from the police station at 5:05 PM. As soon as they reached at Darau crossroad, they were informed by an informant that one person had gone with counterfeit notes in a house at Avas Vikas and they were further informed that in the said house, counterfeit notes were being printed. On this information, the police party searched House No. 132 -B in a house at Avas Vikas Colony and the informant went away. It was seen from the slit of the door that one person was working on a Computer and another person was putting the notes on the bed while the third one was collecting the notes with the help of cutter and the fourth person was making the bundles of the notes. On being confident that all the four persons were manufacturing counterfeit currency notes, the police party knocked the door on which two persons ran away from the roof. Rest of the two accused also tried to ran away but they were caught at about 8 PM. Those two accused caught on the spot disclosed their names Ranjeet @ Raja from whose possession 91 notes each Rs. 1000/ - in total Rs. 91,000/ - were recovered while the other accused disclosed his name Raju @ Kallu and from his possession 60 notes each Rs. 500/ -, 13 notes each Rs. 100/ - and 6 notes each Rs. 50/ -, in total Rs. 31,600/ - counterfeit currency was recovered. The serial number of the notes recovered from the possession of appellant/accused Ranjet @ Raja is as under: