NIA Arrests Two Key Conspirators in Rs 17.29-Crore Fake Currency Case at PNB Currency Chest in Saharanpur
New Delhi, October 22: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two alleged key conspirators in a counterfeit Indian currency racket linked to the recovery of fake banknotes with a face value of Rs 17.29 crore from the currency chest of Punjab National Bank (PNB) in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
The accused, identified as Ajay Kumar, son of Ramesh Chand, was arrested from Ambala, Haryana, on October 16, while Harish Rounta, son of Devi Chand Rounta, was arrested from Manali, Himachal Pradesh, on October 22.
According to the NIA, the two accused allegedly played key roles in the illegal printing and supply of large quantities of counterfeit Indian currency notes, which were subsequently routed through other accused persons into the PNB currency chest at Civil Lines, Saharanpur. Both are also stated to be close associates of arrested accused Adesh Choudhary and others linked to the conspiracy.
The case came to light on August 29, 2026, when Saharanpur Police received credible information about the recovery of counterfeit Indian currency notes worth ₹17.29 crore from the bank's currency chest. During the preliminary inquiry, the involvement of three bank employees also emerged, following which the bank suspended them.
Initially, the case was registered as FIR No. 0431/2026 on August 29 at Sadar Bazar Police Station in Saharanpur under Section 178 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, against three accused persons. The NIA subsequently re-registered the case on September 3, 2026, as RC-02/2026/NIA/LKW and took up the investigation.
Earlier, the agency had arrested FIR-named accused Amit Kumar and other key accused persons, including Adesh Choudhary, Mukesh Kumar, Rajender and Nitu, on September 7, 15, 20 and 22, respectively.
The NIA said the investigation is continuing to uncover the full extent of the alleged conspiracy, identify the roles of other suspected participants and apprehend the remaining accused persons.anb
|
