When S. Srikanth of Rasoolpura stumbled upon a fake currency note a few weeks ago, he first thought of approaching the police to lodge a complaint.
Worried about police asking searching questions and holding him responsible for possessing fake note, the businessman tore it off. It is not Srikanth alone who would prefer not to alert the police on finding a fake currency note for fear of ‘harassment by police', but many feel that is the ‘best option'.
Whatever be the reason, people not coming forward to lodge complaints is only helping those circulating the fake Indian currency notes (FICN). Hyderabad Police Commissioner A.K. Khan, however, has decided to change the perception by saying that persons inadvertently possessing FICNs will not be harassed. “Come, alert and complain about FICN circulation. No question of pestering you,” the Commissioner assured Hyderabadis. Persons receiving FICN in monetary transactions can knock at the doors of the police station concerned without any fear and convey all details to the police.
Let the complainants not hide any information and co-operate with the police in tracing the original circulator. “If any policeman harasses the complainant in such cases, they can come to me. Serious action will be taken against the officer concerned,” Mr. Khan has declared. Will Section 489-C of the Indian Penal Code, under which possession of forged or counterfeit currency or bank notes is an offence, be used against complainants?
This section of law adds to the fears of persons stumbling upon FICN now and then. It assumes importance in the light of Pakistan-printed counterfeit currency rackets frequently surfacing in the State capital. Members of one such a gang busted by the Commissioner's Task Force have admitted that they had circulated FICNs having face value of Rs. 63 lakh by the time police caught them.
The Commissioner maintains the particular section of law will be used judiciously to trace the masterminds behind the rackets. Why are incidents of circulation of fake currency reported frequently despite different wings like Crime Investigation Department, Counter Intelligence and Intelligence at State level, law and order police, Commissioner's Task Force and Special Branch at city level keeping tab on offenders?
City police officials maintain that they have succeeded in catching local gangs making fake currency notes. But, persons circulating Pakistan-printed FICN had spread their tentacles across the country making it difficult to nab them. “We could do little beyond borders of our State and it is for the law-enforcing agencies at national level to check the racketeers,” they observe.
