MUMBAI, Jan. 16 -- A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Tuesday refused to discharge Nasir Usmangani Chaudhary from a case involving alleged circulation of high-quality counterfeit Rs.2,000 denomination notes on the instructions of a Pakistan-based handler, identified by the agency as Javed Patel alias Javed Chikna, a designated terrorist and close associate of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar. Special judge Chakor Baviskar rejected Chaudhary's plea for discharge, observing that at the pre-trial stage, the court was only required to see whether the material on record raises a prima facie case and "grave suspicion" against the accused, not to conduct a meticulous evaluation of evidence. The case stems from a November 2021 seizure by the Thane police of 149 counterfeit notes from co-accused Riyaz, who allegedly told investigators that the fake currency was being circulated on instructions received via WhatsApp from a handler referred to as "Uncle", operating from Pakistan. After the probe was taken over by the NIA, the agency identified "Uncle" as Chikna. Chaudhary sought discharge on the ground that no incriminating material was recovered from his house and that the case against him rested solely on the alleged recovery of a single counterfeit note, which he claimed was planted. He also challenged the invocation of stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), arguing that the material was not proof of any terrorist act or conspiracy. The court, however, was unconvinced. Referring to the recovery of one counterfeit note pursuant to Chaudhary's disclosure statement, the judge noted that the seizure could not be brushed aside. "Sans trial, veracity of the fact of disclosure statement by this applicant/accused and recovery of one FICN (Fake Indian Currency Note) on its basis, cannot at all be decided," the order said. Rejecting the allegation of false implication, the court observed that no basis had been shown as to why the investigating agency would attempt to frame the accused. "The investigating officer does not appear to be holding any grudge against the present applicant/accused," the judge recorded. The court also relied on the prosecution's case that the recovered note was part of a larger consignment, pointing out that 149 counterfeit notes of the same denomination had already been seized from the co-accused. The judge accepted the prosecution's reliance on forensic evidence, recording that the Government Note Press, Nashik, had certified the seized currency as "high quality counterfeit currency notes". He further observed that the definition of a "terrorist act" under the UAPA includes economic offences, and that there is "no provision of any statute which requires any particular number of FICN to attract the offence". The judge noted that the contact number of the co-accused Riyaz was found in Chaudhary's mobile phone, contradicting his earlier claim of having no connection whatsoever with the other accused persons. Taking all this into account, the court rejected the discharge plea....