Prime suspect among five arrested for printing and circulating fake currency notes in Malegaon

Nashik: Malegaon police on Thursday arrested five people in Nashik and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on the charges of printing and bringing into circulation fake currency notes in Rs 500 denomination. A search is on for three others. On Jan 23, a private bank filed a complaint at Chawani police station in Malegaon, alleging that a farmer from Nandgaon deposited 100 counterfeit notes in Rs 500 denomination as part of his six-month instalment - Rs 89,000 - for a tractor he had bought on loan from the bank, said additional superintendent of police Teghbir Singh Sandhu. Same day, an FIR was registered under sections 179 (using as genuine forged or counterfeit currency) and 180 (possession of forged or counterfeit currency) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.Sandhu said prelimnary investigations revealed that the farmer was involved in the circulation of fake notes. "His questioning led police to his uncle, his uncle's friend from Kannad village in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and several others before zeroing on the prime accused, Santosh Kelaskar," he said. Explaining the modus operandi, Malegaon Camp assistant superintendent of police Darshan Duggad said Kelaskar, a resident of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, would print 200 counterfeit notes in Rs 500 denomination and hand them to his prospective clients or next in chain of the racket for Rs 16,500. "Kelaskar is a graphic designer and had a set-up in one room in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar town. After collecting the notes from Kelaskar, the next in chain would pass them on adding his own commission," Duggad said, adding five people, including Kelaskar, have been arrested. Computers, printers and papers used for printing were seized. A court remanded all the five accused - farmer, his uncle, his uncle's friend, Kelaskar and one other - in police custody for four days. "Three people are still at large. Investigations are underway to find out the nexus and where the accused were engaged in the illegal business," Duggad said.