Businessman loses ₹80 lakh after falling for lure of new ₹2,000 notes

Three people were arrested for allegedly cheating a Mumbai-based businessman by promising to give him ₹2,000 notes from a “new series yet to be released for circulation” for half their value, and took ₹80 lakh from him. The accused have been identified as Anandkumar Tiwari (30), Sujit Yadav (27), and Gayatriprasad Shukla (31).

Officers of Crime Branch Unit II on February 29 received a tip-off that a gang that cheated people by offering them fictitious new notes was in Mumbai. The three were picked up from West Inn Hotel in Goregaon, where they were staying for the duration of their trip.

“After questioning, the accused admitted to have cheated a businessman of ₹80 lakh earlier this year. We called the businessman and he confirmed that he had been approached by the accused on December 21 last year. One of the accused posed as a high-ranking Central government official, using a forged identity card, to sell his lie. The accused gave him five ₹2,000 notes, telling him that they were from a new series, whereas they were normal notes which are currently in circulation,” an officer said.

When the businessman could use the notes easily, he agreed to purchase a larger number of notes for half the price.

The trio said they would only accept payment in current ₹500 and ₹100 notes, after which a meeting was fixed at Lalit Hotel near Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport on January 3.

“Only two of the accused met the businessman. As soon as he handed the money over, the accused pretended to get a call and told him that the third man had just been arrested by the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad, and that a team was at that moment entering the hotel to conduct a raid. They handed him a bag saying it contained the notes and forced him to flee the room before he could check what was inside,” the officer said.

The businessman realised later that the bag contained nothing but stacks of blank paper cut in the shape of currency notes.

Following the businessman’s statement, a case was registered against the accused at Sahar police station and was taken over by the Crime Branch.

“Preliminary investigations indicate that the accused had committed similar crimes in Kolkata, Bangalore, Agra, Delhi and Lucknow,” the officer said.