Bhubaneswar: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has directed the state police to investigate reports about circulation of fake coins in the state.
Orissa POST had published in these columns November 15, 2016 (Demonetisation effect: Fake `10 coins flood market) highlighting role of anti-socials and criminals in aggravating the demonetization confusion by circulating fake coins.
However, top officials of RBI regional office here had dismissed the news as ‘rumours’ without verifying facts on the issue. This correspondent had addressed the issue with RBI Governor Urjit Patel November 18, 2016 and dispatched the news clipping about the busting of a counterfeit coins racket in Delhi and Kolkata. 
Orissa POST has also reported that fake coins were reaching the state via Kolkata and Delhi. Interestingly, the RBI Governor responded to the article in April 2017 and urged the state police to investigate this.
The state police have started the enquiry process on the issue.
“We have received the instruction in April 2017. Had we got the instructions in November or December 2016 it would have helped us in tracing the culprits,” admits a top police official.
Sources in RBI, however, claimed that Urjit Patel might have received several mails in November 2016 due to the massive impact of demonetisation and it should be the reason behind the delay in taking the decision over the issue. The apex financial body has drawn flak for taking the decision so long to order a probe into the issue.
“This is the major drawback of our administration. We always delay things. An immediate enquiry on this issue should have exposed the counterfeit racket,” said eminent constitutional expert SN Misra.
Significantly, a top police officer who interacted with this correspondent Friday on the fake coins issue said they were planning to contact their counterparts in Delhi and Kolkata.
“We will check with our colleagues in Kolkata and Delhi. Since the Delhi officials busted the counterfeit racket in October 2016, we will check whether the racket involves persons from Orissa,” said the policeman.
Jose K Joseph, OP
