JIFFA panel member held in forgery case

RANCHI: A team of Kolkata Police arrested Aarif Nasir Butt, one of the organisers of Jharkhand International Film Festival Award (JIFFA), hours before the ceremony began on Friday.
Local officials said Butt faces a number of forgery cases in Kolkata, where he runs a real estate business. He was taken to the West Bengal capital soon after his arrest.
Police station in-charge (Kotwali) S N Mandal told TOI, "On Thursday, Kolkata Police contacted me and asked me to detain the accused, who is wanted in several cases." He added, "We have information that the accused was involved in running a fake placement agency and had cheated many people on the pretext of getting them visas and jobs abroad. He was apparently running his business from his house in New Town (Kolkata)".
Butt's arrest follows a raid by Kolkata Police on his house where forged documents used for obtaining visas and personal documents belonging to different individuals were found. Reports said a .9mm pistol was also found and three persons were arrested during the raid. After interrogating the three, Kolkata Police asked Kotwali thana to detain Butt immediately.
Mandal said, "The accused faces a case under Sections 406, 420, 467, 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code." A Kolkata Police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added, "There are six cases against Butt in Kolkata's Baguiati and Bidhannagar police stations."
Police initiated action Butt and his accomplices after a person, who they had allegedly cheated, lodged a complaint with Baguiati thana. Of the three persons arrested in his house, one has been identified as Imran, a resident of Ranchi, and another a person of Nepali origin. Police were trying to ascertain the identity of the third accused.
JIFFA organising committee president Rishi Prakash Mishra said, "We terminated Butt's membership from the organising committee on Thursday as soon as we came to know about his antecedents."