Fake currency with Rs 7.40 crore face value unearthed at PNB branch in Saharanpur

Counterfeit currency with a face value of around Rs 7.40 crore was found at a Punjab National Bank currency chest in Saharanpur during an audit. Three bank officials were suspended and booked, while a housekeeper was booked separately for allegedly stealing cash

Saharanpur: Counterfeit banknotes with around Rs 7.40 crore face value were unearthed at a Punjab National Bank (PNB) currency chest in Saharanpur, police said on Tuesday.

Three bank officials and a housekeeper were booked in connection with the finding at the Sadar Bazar Police Station on Monday.

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PNB senior chief manager (circle) Nisha Singh told PTI that the bank has suspended senior divisional manager Ravi Kumar Kase, and currency chest managers Sushil Sharma and Amit Kumar.

The three were named in a complaint lodged by the bank’s nodal officer Arun Kumar Chaubey.

Saharanpur Senior Superintendent of Police Abhinandan Singh said a senior bank official had informed police that the bank’s audit team had detected around Rs 7.40 crore worth of “low-quality and suspicious currency” during verification of cash at the chest.

“The counting and reconciliation process is still underway by the bank’s audit team. The exact amount involved will become clear after the bank provides the final figures,” the SSP said.

According to officials, the matter came to light after a shortage of Rs 4.3 lakh was detected while cash sent from the chest to the bank’s headquarters was being counted.

The shortage was initially reported to the PNB’s Meerut branch, following which Chaubey was sent to Saharanpur to conduct an enquiry.

As part of the internal probe, CCTV footage from the currency chest was examined and a part-time housekeeper, Vishal Kumar, was allegedly seen removing money from bundles of currency notes.

Vishal Kumar was booked for theft in a separate case.

The bank launched a chest audit, which revealed several irregularities and fake currency with a face value of about Rs 7.40 crore.