Union Minister of State for Home Mullappally Ramachandran has said that the Central government will soon make a decision on whether to hand over the investigation into the rising instances of fake Indian currency notes in circulation in the country to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
He told The Hindu on Monday that it had been established beyond doubt that the recent inflow of fake Indian currency notes was from Pakistan. The fake notes are routed through various places, especially the porous Indo-Nepal border. The situation is alarming, he added.
“On my return to New Delhi, I would draw the attention of the authorities concerned [to the issue] before deciding to broaden the probe…,” he said when his attention was drawn to the circulation of fake currency notes to the tune of Rs.30 lakh in Kasaragod district and the arrest of five persons.
Meanwhile, the local police, as part of their investigation, visited some places in Karnataka where the notes were understood to have landed before being despatched to the northernmost district of Kerala. A police team led by Kanhangad Circle Inspector K.V. Venugopal left for New Delhi on Sunday in a bid to nab the suspected links in the national capital. Mr. Venugopal, a member of the team investigating the case, had earlier spoken of the limitations of the local police in tracing the culprits who had international nexus.
