The Hindu : Fake notes flooding Central Travancore

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 02, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Fake notes flooding Central Travancore

By Radhakrishnan Kuttoor

PATHANAMTHITTA Aug. 1. Counterfeit currencies of Rs 500, Rs 100 and Rs 10 denominations and fake five rupee coins are reportedly in wide circulation in Central Travancore, posing a serious threat to the already crippled economy of the State.

According to highly placed police sources, counterfeit currency rackets are flourishing in the hilly tracts of Seethathode, Kalanjoor and Konni and the Kozhencherry-Thiruvalla-Changanacherry belt. Also, fake five rupee coins are said to be in wide circulation in different parts of the district, especially in and around Kozhencherry.

There are reports that a counterfeit currency racket had run a small make-shift currency printing press at Pullad, near Kozhencherry, till mid-July, the sources said. However, the local people who reportedly gave the tip-off to the police on the racket at Pullad, Kaviyoor and Vallomkulam, near Thiruvalla, say that the press was shifted to some unknown location in an autorickshaw.

Meanwhile, a special police squad from Ernakulam visited Kaviyoor and Pullad a week ago as part of the investigation, the sources said.

There are allegations that the delay in police action against the currency racket, which reportedly included a pastor and four others, despite the tip-off, helped the culprits go scot-free. The pastor and four others are now absconding.

Circulation centres: The main centres of circulation of counterfeit notes are toddy shops, bars and markets.

The Thiruvalla police had seized fake Rs. 500 currency notes from a fruit vendor two years ago and there are also reports of police cases on fake currencies lying abandoned in private buses and on the wayside in different parts of the district.

There are also reports of the presence of stray Rs. 500 counterfeit currencies among the notes issued from Government treasuries. Many bank officials have confided that they used to burn the fake currencies that reach bank counters through innocent customers.

Watermarks: State Bank of India authorities here say that the window security thread, the white watermark and the mark of Mahatma Gandhi on the new currencies cannot be easily duplicated and the banks have taken extra care to identify fake currencies using modern ultra-violet lamps.

However, the police sources say it is very difficult to identify Rs.10 counterfeit notes as they are ditto of the original ones.

vIt is alleged that the fake Rs. 100 and Rs. 500 notes are widely circulated in Seethathode and its surrounding areas through the large number of poor Tamil workers in the locality. There are also allegations of an inter-State link to the counterfeit currency racket spreading its chain from across the Tamil Nadu border through the Shenkottai-Punalur route, the police sources said.

The alleged activities of certain terrorist outfits in the remote areas of Konni should be viewed seriously in this regard.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

Stories in this Section

Kochi to become premier ITES spot

Flesh trade racket busted

NRI quota list

HC upholds rule on B.Ed. qualification

I-T Commissioner remanded in CBI custody

Fake notes flooding Central Travancore

Kerala is now 'baby-friendly'