Bhubaneswar: Police in Odisha capital detained a youth following an alleged attempt to circulate fake Indian currency notes (FICN) in Chillipokhari area under Badagada police limits on Sunday. .
According to sources, two youths arrived on a motorcycle bearing a West Bengal registration number around 3 pm and stopped at a local paan shop to purchase soft drinks. They tendered a ₹100 note for the transaction. When the shopkeeper, who reportedly lacked smaller change, was told to keep the full amount, she became suspicious as the note felt unusually thin and had a distinct texture unlike genuine currency.
The shopkeeper alerted neighbouring traders and residents. As locals confronted the duo, the suspects allegedly offered a bribe of up to ₹1 lakh. In the ensuing scuffle, one youth, believed to be from West Bengal, managed to flee the scene, dropping some notes in the process, while the crowd caught hold of the second suspect, identified as an Odia youth, and handed him over to Badagada Police, which seized the motorcycle and multiple fake ₹100 notes from the detained individual.
Police have initiated a detailed probe to uncover the source of the counterfeit notes, their printing location, and potential links to a wider network. It is being examined whether the duo, possibly operating from West Bengal, sought to exploit small transactions at paan shops, tea stalls, and among elderly vendors, particularly amid the high footfall for Rath Yatra.
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