IQBAL SINGH Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB & ANR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This judgment shall dispose of all the three appeals against conviction, mentioned above which have arisen out of the same judgment dated 25.08.2003, vide which the appellant Baldev Singh has been held guilty and convicted for the offences punishable under Sections 489-A, 489-C and 489-D of Indian Penal Code (for short 'IPC') and appellants Iqbal Singh, Sukhwinder Singh and Munna Lal have been held guilty and convicted for the offences punishable under Section 489-C IPC and have been sentenced as under:-

(2.) The sequence of the events leading to this prosecution are that on 23.09.2001, PW-2 SI Bhupinder Singh along with other police employees received a secret information, while holding Nakabandi in front of Atwal Petrol in the area of Urban Estate, Phase-II main road Patiala, that appellants Iqbal Singh, Sukhwinder Singh @ Sukha and Baldev Singh were dealing in fake currency notes. They give the fake currency notes of Rs. 20,000/- of denomination of Rs. 100/- each in lieu of Rs.10,000/- of genuine currency notes. It was also informed by the informant that they purchase articles for Rs.10/- by giving 100/- rupee fake currency note and get back the balance amount in genuine currency.

(3.) Si Bhupinder Singh along with police officials searched for the accused, but they could not be apprehended on that day. On 24.09.2001, SI Bhupinder Singh was present near Sadhu Bela behind Punjabi University, Patiala, Ex-Sarpanch Sukhdev Singh, Mirzapur met the police party and started talking and in the meanwhile appellants Sukhdev Singh (Sukhwinder Singh) along with appellant Iqbal Singh came on scooter bearing registration No. PJV-6721. On seeing the police party, they tried to return, but were apprehended. On the personal search of appellant Iqbal Singh, 42 currency notes of denomination of Rs.100/- each were recovered from the right side pocket of his shirt. 30 fake currency notes of the denomination of Rs.100/- each were recovered from the right side pocket of the shirt of appellant Sukhdev Singh (Sukhwinder Singh). On search of their scooter 208 fake currency notes of denomination of Rs.100/- each were recovered from the dicky of the scooter. These currency notes were taken into possession vide memo Ex.P3, Ex.P-4 and Ex.P-5 respectively along with scooter.