Mumbai: Three people have been arrested for allegedly circulating fake currency notes with face value of ₹2,000, usually used in movies and TV shows, in Govandi on Wednesday. Police are on the lookout for a third accused, who is suspected of providing the arrested duo with the notes.
Police said the racket came to light when Nana Sonawane, a farmer from Lasalgaon in Nashik, approached them on Tuesday. Senior PIolice Inspector Uttam Kolekar, Govandi police station.
“Mr. Sonawane brings vegetables and fruits every day from his farm to the Diamond Market in Chembur to sell them. On Monday, a man bought two kg. of grapes and paid with a ₹2,000 note, for which Mr. Sonawane gave him change. While counting the day's earnings at night, that he realised that the note was fake. The next day, when the same man tried to buy grapes with another ₹2,000 note, he found it was fake and raised an alarm.”
Mr Sonawane and other vegetable sellers caught the man, identified as Vasudev Achrekar, 40, and handed him over to two constables from Govandi police station. Mr. Kolekar said, “When questioned, Achrekar said he obtained the fake notes from two friends, Raju Jadhav, 40, and Jitu Jadhav, 36. We arrested them, and they confessed to passing off one fake note each with ₹2,000 face value”
Police said the notes came from an employee with Film City studios, and efforts are underway to apprehend him. The notes, which look exactly like genuine ₹2,000 notes, have ‘Aazad Bank of India’ instead of ‘Reserve Bank of India’ printed on them and come with a disclaimer saying ‘This is for fun’ to the bottom centre.
