On Tuesday, Prayagraj police discovered a book comparing the RSS to a terrorist organisation during a search of a madrasa in connection with a fake currency case. They suspect the cleric may have been using the book to “instill anti-RSS sentiments” and brainwash students against the nationalist organisation.
A senior police official stated that during an August 28 raid at Jamia Habibia Masjide Azam Madrasa in the Atarsuiya area, along with counterfeit currency, they found the book. After translating it from Urdu to Hindi, the book was identified as SM Musharraf’s “RSS: The Biggest Terrorist Organization in the Country.”
The police suspect that Mohammad Tafseerul Arifeen, the cleric of the madrasa, was using the book to “instill anti-RSS sentiments in the minds of children.”
In connection with the case, Local Intelligence Unit (LIU) and Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) teams questioned the madrasa staff on Tuesday.
An officer from the LIU stated, “On Tuesday, ATS and LIU teams visited Jamia Habibia Masjide Azam Madrasa to interrogate the staff and students. However, no significant information was obtained from the questioning.”
The officer also mentioned that the police plan to file a petition in court soon, requesting the remand of the arrested suspects for further questioning in the fake currency case.
The madrasa staff and students have denied any involvement in the counterfeit currency operation, according to an officer.
On August 28, Prayagraj police dismantled a counterfeit currency gang, arresting four suspects and seizing 1,300 fake 100-rupee notes, 234 uncut printed pages, a laptop, a color printer, and bundles of paper, officials reported.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (City), Deepak Bhuker, stated that the gang leader, Jahir Khan from Bhadrak, Odisha, along with Mohammad Afzal from Kareli, Prayagraj, was printing fake currency in a room at Jamia Habibia Masjide Azam Madrasa.
Bhuker added that madrasa cleric Arifeen had provided a separate room for producing the counterfeit currency, with Mohammad Shahid assisting in the operation.
According to Bhuker, the gang had been running the counterfeit currency business for the last three to four months, exchanging fake notes worth Rs 45,000 for genuine notes of Rs 15,000.
The police have charged the arrested suspects under sections 178 (counterfeiting coin, government stamps, currency notes, or bank notes), 179 (using forged or counterfeit coin, government stamp, currency notes, or bank notes as genuine), and 180 (possession of forged or counterfeit coin, government stamp, currency notes, or bank notes) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Additionally, they have been charged under sections 181 (making or possessing instruments or materials for forging or counterfeiting coin, government stamps, currency notes, or bank notes) and 182(1) (making or using documents resembling currency notes or bank notes) of the BNS.
