Ahilyanagar Fake Note Racket: Two youths who were trying to print fake notes of Indian currency of Rs 500 and introduce them into circulation were caught by a team of Nagar Taluka Police on the outskirts of Ruichhattisi village around 10 pm on July 27.
Fake notes, a Mahindra company Thar car and other valuables worth about Rs 17 lakh 37 thousand were seized from them. Investigation has revealed that these notes have a Marathwada connection. The police have arrested one person from Beed district and two from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar who supplied fake notes to the arrested two.
The police had arrested Somnath Manik Shinde (age 25, resident of Tapovan Road, Nagar) and Nikhil Shivaji Gangarde (age 27, resident of Kombhali, Tal. Karjat). After the two informed that these notes were provided to them by Pradeep Sanjay Kapre (Res. Shirur Kasar, Dist. Beed), the police have also arrested him.
Of these three, Somnath Shinde has been sent to judicial custody. While Nikhil Gangarde has been given police custody till July 30 and Pradeep Kapre till August 1. Based on the information received from Pradeep Kapre, the names of two more people in this fake note racket came to light.
After that, the police arrested Mangesh Pandhari Shirsat (age 41, Res. Shivajinagar, Dist. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar) and Vinod Damodar Arbat (age 53, Res. Satara Paris, Dist. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar) on July 30 by a team of Thorat, Sontakke, Vikrant Bhalsingh, Raju Khedkar, Baba Khedkar Sagar Misal, Sharad Bandekar under the guidance of S.P.O. Pralhad Gite. Therefore, the number of accused in this crime has increased to 5.
Nagar Taluka Police Station S.P.O. Prahlad Gite received confidential information that 2 people were coming to Ruichhattisi area in a Mahindra Char car with fake Indian currency notes of Rs 500 and pretending that they were genuine.
On receiving this information, he called the night patrol team and along with the team, they went to the outskirts of Raichhattisi village around 10 pm on July 27 and laid a trap. Soon, they saw the suspicious Dhar car (No. MH 16 DL 27970) coming. When the police stopped the car, Somnath Shinde and Nikhil Gangarde were seen sitting in it.
When the police searched them in the presence of the magistrate, 100 fake notes of Rs 500 were found in Somnath Shinde’s pocket. While 60 fake notes of Rs 500 were found in Nikhil Gangarde’s pocket. If they had been in circulation, their value would have been around Rs 80,000.
The police have seized the fake notes, the mobile phones of both of them, fake notes of Rs 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 worth Rs 2,870 from Somnath Shinde’s pocket, a Thar car worth Rs 17,37,870 and have arrested the two.
Police Sub-Inspector Bharat Dhumal is investigating this crime and the police are investigating who else is involved in this case and where they printed the fake notes.
