Bhubaneswar: In a major crackdown, Uttar Pradesh Police claimed to have busted a fake currency racket at a madrasa in Prayagraj by arresting four persons including an Odia youth in this connection and seizing counterfeit money from their possession in a raid last week. The acting principal of the madrasa has also been nabbed. 

The accused were identified as Abdul Jahir alias Jahir Khan, the mastermind from Odisha's Bhadrak district, acting principal Mohammad Tafseerul Arifeen (25), Mohammad Afzal and Mohammad Shahid. They were nabbed after Civil Lines police carried out a raid on August 28 at the Jamia Habibiya madrasa in the Attarsuiya area, from where the operation was being run out.

As per reports, Jahir had been to the Madrasa four years back. The accused had taken the room on rent and were allegedly scanning and printing fake 100-rupee notes along with circulating them in the local market.

Police said apart from Jahir, the Madrasa Principal Arifeen is also reportedly from Odisha. He had rented the room to mastermind Jahir, in return of a share in profit. Jahir used to pay Rs 100 for supplying three fake 100-rupee notes.The gang was operating from a room in the madrasa over the last three to four months. At least 1,300 fake 100 rupee notes have been seized among other incriminating items during the search, they said. 

Addressing mediapersons, Deputy Commissioner of Police City Deepak Bhuker said Jahir was the gang leader and along with Afzal, was involved in printing fake currency notes at the Jamia Habibia Masjide Azam Madrasa. Revealing that the gang's operations was active over the past three to four months, Bhuker said "The madrasa cleric Arifeen had provided a separate room for the production of counterfeit currency. The accused were providing fake notes with a face value of Rs 45,000 in exchange for genuine notes of Rs 15,000. Along with the fake notes, police ave recovered 234 printed pages (uncut), one laptop, one colour printer, two bundles of bound paper and one bundle of loose paper from their possession,” Bhuker added. 

A case has been registered and the accused booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). UP Police are likely to visit and carry out raids in places linked to Jahir. "Police will soon file a petition in court seeking the remand of the arrested suspects for further questioning in the case," Bhuker said. 

Police also recovered a book comparing the RSS with a terrorist organisation from the madrasa. It is suspected that the madrasa's cleric, Mohammad Tafseerul Arifeen was using the book titled "RSS: The Biggest Terrorist Organization in the Country" by SM Musharraf, to instill anti-RSS sentiments in the minds of children.