Saharanpur: A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been set up by the Uttar Pradesh Police to probe into the alleged circulation and storage of counterfeit currency worth nearly Rs 17 crore at a Punjab National Bank’s (PNB) currency chest in Saharanpur.
Through this, the police want to widen the investigation to neighbouring districts, as well as Haryana and Uttarakhand, officials aware of the matter told Hindustan Times.
PNB has already suspended three bank officials, whose roles came under suspicion during the bank’s preliminary inquiry after the discovery of the fake currency. A departmental inquiry has also been initiated by the bank, while an investigation by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is underway.
Charges against the three were also registered The three on Monday on the complaint of PNB Meerut chief manager and nodal officer Arun Kumar Chaubey. The suspects have been identified as Ravi Kumar Kansay, senior manager at PNB’s divisional office; Sushil Kumar Sharma, manager of the currency chest at Sophia Market; and Amit Kumar, manager of the PNB currency chest at Khera Bazaar in Yamunanagar-Jagadhri, Haryana.
A part-time housekeeper, Vishal Kumar, was also named in the complaint.
“A case has been registered on the complaint of the bank’s chief manager against the three managers and the part-time housekeeper,” Saharanpur DIG Abhishek Singh said.
The case was registered under BNS sections 178 (counterfeiting currency), 316 (criminal breach of trust), and 318 (cheating).
Singh said the bank was conducting its own inquiry while police were investigating the entire matter.
The irregularity initially surfaced after a shortage was detected in currency sent from the PNB branch at Ghantaghar in Saharanpur to the RBI currency chest in Jaipur, following which a probe was launched, people aware of the matter said.
During the subsequent audit, which began on August 9, officials found 148 bundles of counterfeit currency, each containing a thousand Rs 500 notes. The initial value of the fake notes was calculated at Rs 7.40 crore.
The amount of counterfeit currency detected increased to around Rs 17 crore As the audit of currency continued. CCTV footage shows part-time housekeeper Vishal Kumar removing notes from currency bundles while working inside the currency chest.
