In Meerut, the investigation into a significant counterfeit currency operation connected to Punjab National Bank’s Saharanpur currency chest has taken a troubling turn. The family of a 26-year-old driver, reported missing since Saturday, has raised concerns that he may have been abducted by bank officials involved in the scheme. They believe this action was taken to prevent him from sharing critical information with investigators.
The case stems from the recovery of counterfeit notes worth Rs 17.3 crore from the Saharanpur chest on Aug 29. Sadar Bazar police station subsequently registered an FIR under BNS section 178 (penalises the counterfeiting of coins, government revenue stamps, currency notes or bank notes) against three accused — senior divisional manager Ravi Kumar, currency chest manager Sushil Sharma and Amit. NIA took over the case on Sept 3.
His phone has been switched off since, his father Shiv Prasad, who runs an e-rickshaw in Saharanpur, told police. One of the motorcycles, he said, was being used by a co-accused. Adarsh Kataria, a driver with the PNB currency chest for the past few years who transported cash consignments to branches, left home after telling his family that he had been called to meet a senior official at the office. In a written complaint to police, the father alleged that Adarsh had already been questioned by investigators and had co-operated by providing information that could help identify those responsible. He claimed his son, being young and inexperienced, had been used by others working at the chest, who allegedly got property and two motorcycles registered in Adarsh’s name. They were subsequently suspended. Ravi and Sushil are yet to be arrested.
The development comes after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Amit Kumar , manager of the PNB currency chest at the Jagadhari branch in Haryana, from his brother-in-law’s house in Chandigarh on Monday night.
SP (city), Saharanpur, Vyom Bindal said, “Investigation is underway into the abduction allegations.”