How Delhi Police constable posed as ‘decoy customer', caught man with Rs 60,000 counterfeit currency in 2018

Indian Express

03-07-2025

This month, a Delhi court is set to sentence a man convicted of dealing in counterfeit currency. However, the series of events that led to the man's arrest was set into motion on a chilly afternoon on October 16, 2018, when a secret informer arrived at the office of the Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS) in Delhi's Shahdara with a vital piece of information, as per court records.
The informer told Constable Manu that a man named Mohammed Hussain was selling counterfeit currency at the service road near the Cross River Mall in Shahdara. This tip-off led the police to believe that Hussain had been circulating and trafficking fake Indian currency notes (FICNs). The information was conveyed to Inspector Sanjay Sharma, the AATS in-charge, and a raiding team of five police officials was formed to bust Hussain's network.
According to court records, Head Constable Giriraj posed as Yakoob, a decoy customer, and stood near the location where the informer had said he had seen Hussain. Giriraj then saw Hussain and went to strike a deal with him. For two genuine Rs 500 notes, he was given counterfeit currency worth Rs 2,000 by Hussain.
At close to 5 pm, Giriraj waved his hand—a predetermined signal decided by the raiding team—and the others closed in and apprehended Hussain within minutes. While conducting a search of the accused, the police found 29 fake Rs 2,000 notes from his right pant pocket. The recovered currency was sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory, Rohini, and after the results showed that the currency was fake, a chargesheet was filed on January 11, 2019, as per court records.
Six and a half years later, a Delhi court convicted Hussain under Section 489B of the Indian Penal Code (using as genuine, forged or counterfeit currency-notes or bank-notes).
'It is highly improbable that without any rhyme or reason for the police to pick only accused Mohd. Hussain and plant FICNs upon him…Moreover, in view of the unbreached testimonies of the witnesses available on record, the plea of accused regarding his false implication is without any basis,' Additional Sessions Judge Hardeep Kaur of Patiala House Court noted in her order dated May 30.
The counsel for Hussain had argued that the accused belonged to a poor strata of society and had been falsely implicated in the case. He argued that the money had been planted by the Delhi Police. The defence lawyer had also argued that no CCTV footage of the incident had been collected and no public witnesses had joined the investigation.
'…this Court has no hesitation to hold that accused Mohd. Hussain having possession of 30 FICNs in the denomination of Rs.2,000/- reached at the spot in order to supply the same to the customers,' Additional Sessions Judge Kaur said.
Arguments on Hussain's sentence were heard on July 2. His sentence is likely to be decided on July 7.