Centre issues alert over high-quality fake Rs 500 notes; Highlights key identifier
New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued a high-priority alert to financial regulatory bodies, enforcement agencies, and banks dealing in cash, following intelligence reports of “high-quality” counterfeit Rs 500 notes entering circulation.
The alert, as cited by The New Indian Express, highlights a key identifier between the fake and genuine notes— a subtle spelling error in the fake currency. Instead of “RESERVE BANK OF INDIA,” the counterfeit notes bear the misspelled phrase “RSERVE BANK OF INDIA”.
Despite the near-perfect resemblance in print quality and design to genuine notes, this minor typographical flaw is being described by officials as “very subtle” and potentially easy to overlook. Institutions that handle large volumes of currency — such as banks, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), National Investigation Agency (NIA), and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) — have been put on high alert.
Institutions handling currency have been asked to remain on high alert, as intelligence reports suggest that counterfeit notes may have already entered circulation, TNIE quoted officials as saying. They added that an image of the suspected counterfeit currency has also been circulated to aid identification.
The government has urged the general public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious currency to authorities immediately.
When asked about the possible volume of counterfeit notes that may have entered the Indian market, a senior investigative official noted that no agency can accurately assess the figure, as data is compiled from diverse sources, including notes submitted by citizens to banks. However, he added, the actual number may far exceed reported statistics.
In a recent response in Parliament, the government outlined the steps taken to combat the spread of fake currency. These include stringent legal provisions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, as well as the formation of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the FICN Coordination Group (FCORD), and the Terror Funding and Fake Currency (TFFC) Cell.
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Owaisi dismisses Pak PM's 'threats' on Indus Water Treaty, says it won't impact India
Hyderabad, Aug 13 (PTI): AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday dismissed Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's "threats" over the Indus Water Treaty, saying they would not have any impact on India.
Speaking to reporters here, Owaisi also said the BrahMos missile is India’s answer to Pakistan.
“You (Sharif) are the Prime Minister of a country… You are using such a language that it will not have any impact on us. The (Indian) government has kept the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance. Instead of showing some change, you are threatening. Threats will not have any impact on India. Enough of it,” he said, in response to a query on the remarks of Sharif, its army chief Asim Munir and other leaders on the treaty.
Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said India would not be allowed to snatch "even one drop" of water belonging to Pakistan, amid tensions between the two neighbours.
A day after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, India took a series of punitive measures against Pakistan that included putting the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of 1960 in "abeyance".
On Special Intensive Revision undertaken by the Election Commission in Bihar, the Hyderabad MP alleged that the names of many legitimate voters were being deleted.
He noted that the Centre has not specified which documents prove citizenship.
“The ministry responsible for citizenship is not stating what documents are admissible as proof of citizenship. Then, on what basis is ECI taking responsibility (for SIR). That's why, we say there is a lot of confusion. If name is not part of the SIR, it will be said you (concerned person) are not a citizen (of the country). What will people do then?” Owaisi asked.
Responding to a Congress leader’s allegations of fake voters in the assembly constituencies represented by AIMIM, he said election authorities have conducted verification and found nothing amiss when similar charges were levelled in the past.
Noting that many municipal corporations across the country have ordered the closure of slaughterhouses and meat shops on August 15, he termed it "unconstitutional" and sought to know the link between meat consumption and Independence Day celebration.
“These meat bans violate people’s right to liberty, privacy, livelihood, culture, nutrition and religion,” he added.
