Yahriar, 22, of Bihar working as the imam at Salafi Masjid, Kadavanthra, who was arrested for possessing fake Indian currency notes, was remanded in police custody for detailed interrogation on Thursday.
Yahriar and his assistant Sayid, 88, of Kothamangalam, were arrested by the Town South Police after fake notes worth Rs. 2,800 was spotted among Rs.10,500 that Yahriar wanted to send to his home in Bihar.
The notes are believed to have been printed in Pakistan.
The officials at the shipyard branch of the State Bank of India spotted the fake notes and alerted the police. The police seized five fake notes of denomination Rs. 50; 56 notes of Rs. 20; 114 notes of Rs. 10; and 58 notes of Rs. 5 from the accused. Even though the police seized Rs. 30,000 during the search done at the masjid, it was found to be genuine currency during the detailed inspection. Police sources said that the fake notes were of high quality and could not be detected during the routine examination processes at banks. It required advanced techniques to spot them.
Both were produced before the court on Thursday, but Sayid was not remanded to custody as he collapsed in the court. He was working as assistant in different masjids in the city before coming to Salafi Masjid a couple of years ago. Yahriar was remanded in police custody for detailed interrogation.
Even though other investigative agencies, including the Intelligence Bureau, grilled the two, the source of the fake notes could not be traced, it is learnt. Sayid has been maintaining that the money he had was collected through donations and Yahriar said that the money he took to the bank was from the lot kept by the former. A probe is on, said police sources.
