Bengaluru: Police bust gang that tampered with serial numbers of Rs 2,000 notes to con people
Bengaluru (PTI): The Bengaluru police have busted a 10-member gang that allegedly tampered with the serial numbers of Rs 2,000 currency notes "to sell them" to gullible people at exorbitant prices, promising them that performing a "money rain ritual" using the notes of a specific serial number would be a boon and multiply their wealth, an official said on Tuesday.
The action followed a complaint filed by a manager of Reserve Bank of India at Halasuru Gate Police Station on October 17, and Rs 18 lakh worth Rs 2,000 denomination notes were seized from the gang, police said.
The complaint states, the gang tampered with the serial number of currency notes of Rs 2,000 denomination to give them a serial number that was already withdrawn from circulation by the RBI. A case was booked based on the complaint, they added.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh told reporters that the RBI says notes are original but the serial numbers are tampered with.
The gang sold the number-altered notes for Rs 4 lakh a piece, promising that performing a ritual using the notes of a specific serial number would bestow them good fortune and they would get "100-times more money", he added.
"The accused have been arrested at different stages. They confessed that they cheated their victims, saying that if they had Rs 2,000 currency notes bearing a specific number, they would get a boon," the officer explained.
The first breakthrough happened on October 24 when the police arrested a person at his residence at Cubbonpet.
"Upon interrogation, the accused confessed to having deposited Rs 40,000 at the bank, stating that he had received the money from two acquaintances who had promised him a commission. These two persons were traced and apprehended near Mysore Bank Circle on the same day," says a statement from the police.
However police did not elaborate on what was the role of this person in this web of crime.
More people were arrested from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh based on further investigation, he said.
"During interrogation, they confessed that they had cheated the public by falsely claiming that if they performed a special ritual using Rs 2,000 notes (except the "O", "OO", "OP", and "OU" series printed in 2018 with consecutive serial numbers withdrawn from circulation), it would multiply the money a hundredfold and cause a ‘rain of money’,” Singh said.
Our investigation team recovered Rs 18 lakh worth Rs 2,000 denomination notes, he added.
"All the accused provided information about the person who tampered with the serial numbers, note series, and printed year on the notes as per their requests. The individual was traced and apprehended from his residence in Yeshwanthpur on the same day. From his possession, Rs 2,000 denomination notes and equipment used for tampering with the note details were seized,” police said.
On November 3, all 10 accused involved in the case were produced in a court, which remanded them to judicial custody, police said, adding that a woman involved in the crime is still absconding, and efforts are on to trace her.
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Businessman lured by FB friend, attacked for extortion in K'taka; 4 held
Madikeri (Karnataka) (PTI): Four people were arrested for allegedly assaulting, illegally confining and attempting to extort money from a 39-year-old businessman who was lured through a honeytrap set up on social media, police said on Monday.
The accused have been identified as Rachana, Malati, Darshan and Ravi.
Police said efforts are underway to nab the remaining suspects involved in the incident, which occurred on December 12 in Madikeri, the district headquarters of Kodagu.
According to the complaint, the victim, a resident of Maddur taluk in Mandya district, was befriended by a woman identified as Rachana through Facebook, who later sought financial assistance and received Rs 5,000 from him via PhonePe on November 28.
When he asked her to return the money, the woman allegedly asked him to travel to Mysuru or Kushalnagar, promising to meet him.
The police said the woman later called the victim to Madikeri on December 12 and took him to a house near the market area, where they spent some time and consumed alcohol in the evening.
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Later that night, citing an emergency, the woman left the house. After her departure, three men allegedly broke into the house and attacked the victim, assaulting him with a stick and the handle of a sword, causing injuries to his face, mouth, chest and leg, the FIR stated.
The complainant alleged that he was forcibly confined, stripped and a nude video of him was recorded. The accused also allegedly threatened him with a toy gun, demanding Rs 50 lakh and warning that the video would be uploaded on social media if the money was not paid.
Police said the victim was held captive and somehow managed to escape in the early hours of December 13. However, after he escaped, the accused allegedly attempted to kidnap him in an autorickshaw, an incident that was captured on CCTV cameras.
Based on his complaint at the Madikeri Town police station, a case was registered under Sections 310(2) (dacoity), 127(2) (wrongful confinement), 118(1) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, a senior police officer said.
“Four accused, including two women, have been arrested. Efforts are on to nab two more absconding accused. Further investigation is on,” he added.
