Overview

• The NIA special court in Mumbai on August 14 convicted Danish Petiwala, Sarasvati Dattaram alias Muskan, and J Kaleel Rahman under IPC and UAPA provisions for smuggling high-quality ₹2,000 counterfeit notes.
• Danish Petiwala and Sarasvati Dattaram received five years, six months and two days of rigorous imprisonment plus ₹6,000 fines each, while J Kaleel Rahman was sentenced to five years, five months and 18 days with a ₹5,000 fine.
• Investigators found that the trio conspired with absconding Malaysian national Amir Mirza to conceal 34 counterfeit ₹2,000 notes in cosmetics parcels and exchange them for genuine currency through banking channels.
• Customs officials intercepted the initial parcel at Sahar airport in February 2020 and later recovered an additional fake note from Hotel Adya International where the accused had stayed.
• Having pleaded guilty and with credits for time served, the convicted could secure immediate release unless they face other pending cases.