Bargarh: Town police Tuesday busted a counterfeit notes racket during a raid here. Eight persons including two women were arrested and fake notes of `500 and `2,000 denominations to the tune of Rs 6.12 lakh were seized from their possession.
Among the seizure, 85 notes were of Rs 2,000 denomination, 793 were of Rs 500 denomination, 19 were of Rs 100 denomination and 88 half-made notes of Rs 500 denomination, the police said.
Along with the counterfeit notes, police also seized a note-making machine, a computer system, two colour scanners, two stamps with Mahatma Gandhi’s image, two steel scales, two paper cutters, two gel pens, colors, paint brush, glass strip, bond paper packets and two motorbikes.
The accused were identified as Krushnachandra Meher (25) of Nakatamunda village under Dunguripali police limits in Sonepur district, Nilanchal Sahu (38) of Bargarh Hatapada and his wife Sanjukta Bhoi (31) of Aenlakanta village under Bheden police limits, Balram Meher (35) of Barpali and his wife Kanti Meher (30), Dibakar Meher (25) of Jhulapali, Amresh Meher (21) and Ramakant Meher (34) of Kebad village.
A case was registered and the accused were produced in a court. They were sent to Bargarh sub-jail after the court rejected their bail pleas, said SP B Jugal Kishore at a press meet held at the SDPO’s office.
According to police, Krushnachandra worked at a ‘dhaba’ owned by Ashok Behera of Jandol village under Bheden police limits.
He was on the run after looting Rs 30,000 and three mobile phones from the eatery. Meanwhile, some locals spotted him at Bargarh bus-stand and alerted Ashok. Soon, Ashok with his aides reached Bargarh and demanded from Krushnachandra his money back.
Krushnachandra then took out some counterfeit notes and handed them over to Ashok. Sensing that the notes were fake, Ashok and his aides thrashed Krushnachandra before handing him over to the police.
During interrogation, he revealed of taking the money from Nilanchal and his wife Sanjukta. Soon, police arrested Nilanchal and his wife who confessed to have brought the notes from Balram and his wife.
Later, police conducted a raid at Balram’s house and made the seizure. He told the police that Dibakar and Amresh were assisting him in making counterfeit currency notes.
Accused Balram and Dibakar were earlier arrested in this connection and released on bail. However, they continued to run the racket after coming out on bail, police said. PNN
