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Saharanpur PNB: NIA arrests two ‘main conspirators’ in ₹17.29-cr fake currency case
The NIA identified the two as main conspirators in the production and supply of a large quantity of fake Indian currency notes. It said they were close associates of arrested accused Adesh Choudhary and others allegedly involved in placing counterfeit notes in the PNB currency chest at Civil Lines, Saharanpur.
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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two alleged main conspirators accused of printing and supplying counterfeit Indian currency notes that investigators believe were channelled through multiple accused into the Punjab National Bank’s (PNB) currency chest in Saharanpur, bringing the total number of arrests in the case to seven, officials said on Thursday.
The NIA arrested Ajay Kumar, son of Ramesh Chand, from Ambala in Haryana on October 16, and Harish Rounta, son of Devi Chand Rounta, from Manali in Himachal Pradesh on Thursday, according to a statement issued by the agency.
The NIA identified the two as main conspirators in the production and supply of a large quantity of fake Indian currency notes. It said they were close associates of arrested accused Adesh Choudhary and others allegedly involved in placing counterfeit notes in the PNB currency chest at Civil Lines, Saharanpur.
The fresh arrests mark a significant development in the investigation, which began after counterfeit notes with a face value of ₹17.29 crore were detected inside the bank’s currency chest on August 29, officials said, adding that the probe was examining how the notes entered the banking system, the alleged roles of bank personnel and intermediaries, and the wider network involved in their printing and supply.
₹111-cr cash consignment under scrutiny
Investigators are also examining the movement of a ₹111-crore currency consignment dispatched from Saharanpur to the Reserve Bank of India’s Jaipur office on July 6. The consignment reportedly comprised 1,900 bundles of ₹500 notes and 800 bundles of ₹200 notes.
The NIA is investigating whether counterfeit notes entered the formal banking network before their detection and whether any suspected fake currency was subsequently sent to bank branches or ATMs. The precise connection between the July consignment and the ₹17.29-crore recovery remains a subject of investigation, officials said.
Five arrests preceded latest action
The case came to light on August 29, when Sadar Bazar police station in Saharanpur received information about counterfeit currency worth ₹17.29 crore in the PNB currency chest. The initial inquiry also brought three bank employees under scrutiny, following which the bank suspended them.
Police registered an FIR under Section 178 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, on August 30. The NIA took over the investigation and re-registered the case on September 3 after registering a fresh case with its Lucknow unit.
The agency arrested Amit Kumar, an accused named in the original FIR, on September 7. Adesh Choudhary, a contractual driver attached to the currency chest, was arrested on September 15. Choudhary’s alleged role in handling and moving cash became an important line of inquiry as investigators sought to establish how the counterfeit notes reached the bank facility.
The NIA subsequently arrested Mukesh Kumar and Rajender Kumar on September 20, followed by Nitu on September 22. The agency described them as close associates of Choudhary and other accused in the alleged conspiracy.
With Ajay Kumar and Harish Rounta now in custody, the NIA is seeking to unravel the alleged chain connecting the printing and supply of counterfeit notes with their placement in the bank’s currency chest. The agency said the investigation was continuing to establish the complete conspiracy and identify and arrest the remaining co-accused and suspects.
