Currency notes with Anupam Kher picture used to con bullion trader of 2.1 kg gold
Ahmedabad (PTI): In a plot twist that could be the envy of even Bollywood, a bullion trader was duped of 2.1 kgs of gold after unidentified con men handed over counterfeit currency featuring the face of noted actor Anupam Kher.
The transaction at the end left a local bullion trader, Mehul Thakkar, high and dry and duped of 2.1 kgs of gold.
Thakkar filed a complaint with the Navrangpura police station, detailing how he was tricked into accepting 26 bundles of counterfeit Rs 500 notes.
The fake currency, which hilariously bore the misspelled label "Resole Bank of India," was presented to his staff in exchange for 2.1 kgs of gold on September 24.
The saga began when Thakkar, a gold dealer with a penchant for shiny things, received a call from Prashant Patel, the manager of a jewellery shop whom the bullion trader knew.
Patel was eager to buy 2.1 kgs of gold, and after some haggling, they settled on a price of Rs 1.60 crore. Little did Thakkar know, he was about to become the star of a real-life comedy.
On September 24, Thakkar instructed his staff to meet Patel at an 'angadia pedhi' (Hawala) office – a traditional money-moving service.
When they arrived, they were greeted not by the glamorous world of gold trade but by three "gentlemen" who handed over bundles of what they claimed were Rs 500 notes.
The unsuspecting staff was told to count the 'money' using a machine provided by the trio.
Two of them then went out with the gold biscuits on the pretext of fetching the remaining Rs 30 lakh from a neighbouring office, while a third one stayed on.
When the staff sent by Thakkar noticed the currency notes were fake after taking them out from plastic wrap for counting, they questioned the third person, who told them he was there just to deliver the counting machine for 'angadia pedhi', the complainant told the police.
It also later came to light that the angadia office was opened by the accused persons two days before the incident, as per the complaint.
An FIR has since been filed against the two unidentified suspects, and police have launched an investigation to track down the culprits behind this unusual con.
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Karnataka makes teenage pregnancies audit mandatory
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government on Tuesday issued an order mandating an audit of all adolescent pregnancy cases across the state, aiming to systematically track, review and address the underlying causes of pregnancies among girls aged 10 to 18 years.
The order makes adolescent pregnancy audit mandatory by the Taluk Health Officer (THO) for all pregnancies occurring among girls aged 10 to 18 years across the state.
The move is intended to strengthen early identification, counselling and preventive interventions by integrating efforts across health, education and social welfare departments, while leveraging existing programmes such as the National Health Mission (NHM) and Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK).
“Adolescent pregnancy remains a significant public health and social concern with implications for maternal health, neonatal outcomes, and socio-economic development,” the order said.
It noted that pregnancies among girls aged 10 to 18 years are associated with increased risks of maternal complications, adverse birth outcomes, school dropout and social vulnerability.
According to the order, all adolescent pregnancies identified in the state must be compulsorily reported by both government and private healthcare institutions on the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) platform.
The audit framework will examine multiple socio-medical factors, including age at marriage, educational status, awareness of reproductive health, access to contraception, and family vulnerabilities.
It will also assess linkages with schemes such as RKSK, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and school health programmes to identify service delivery gaps.
At the Taluk level, a dedicated audit committee will be constituted under the chairmanship of the Taluk Health Officer. Its members will be drawn from primary health centres, field health staff, Anganwadi services and schools.
The government further directed that counselling services, including those through Sneha Centres, access to contraceptives, and targeted outreach to vulnerable adolescent groups—such as school dropouts, migrants and socially disadvantaged households—must be strengthened.
“The audit shall examine age at marriage, educational status, awareness on reproductive health, access to contraception and counselling services, socio-economic and family vulnerabilities,” the order said.
The order mandates strict confidentiality in handling all cases, in compliance with child protection laws, while also ensuring adherence to legal reporting requirements.
