Nagpur: In a major operation against a suspected cheating racket, the Nagpur Rural Police arrested two men for allegedly possessing fake currency bundles labelled "Children's Bank of India" and attempting to pass them off as genuine Indian currency to cheat unsuspecting people. The accused were caught with imitation note bundles carrying a face value of ₹8.65 crore, while property worth ₹3.48 lakh was seized during the operation.
The accused have been identified as Afroz Khan Jamirullah Khan (43), a resident of Memon Colony in Yavatmal, and Irshad Jumman Shaikh (26), a resident of Deoli in Wardha district.
According to the Nagpur Rural Local Crime Branch (LCB), the team received a tip-off on July 2 that two men travelling in a white Maruti Swift (MH-29-BC-4865) on the Nagpur-Wardha National Highway were carrying fake currency bundles printed with "Children's Bank of India" and were allegedly looking for victims to dupe by presenting them as genuine cash.
Acting on the intelligence, the LCB team set up a checkpoint near the Asola-Sawangi stretch. When police signalled the vehicle to stop, the driver allegedly attempted to flee. After a brief chase, the Swift car was intercepted and both suspects were taken into custody.
A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 2,300 fake currency bundles, including 1,500 bundles of ₹500 denomination, 350 bundles of ₹200 denomination, and 450 bundles of ₹100 denomination. Though the printed face value of the seized bundles totalled ₹8.65 crore, police clarified that these were not legal tender but imitation notes bearing the words "Children's Bank of India."
Investigators said the accused had allegedly placed genuine Indian currency notes on top of several bundles to make them appear authentic, a tactic commonly used to deceive buyers during fraudulent cash exchange or investment deals.
Besides the fake note bundles, police seized ₹5,600 in genuine cash, the Maruti Swift car, and four mobile phones, taking the total value of the seized property to ₹3,48,600.
A case has been registered at Butibori Police Station under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police are now investigating whether the accused are linked to similar fraud cases in Maharashtra or other states and are trying to identify other members of the suspected racket.
The operation was carried out by the Nagpur Rural Local Crime Branch under the guidance of Superintendent of Police Harssh A. Poddar, Additional Superintendent of Police Anil Mhaske, and the leadership of Police Inspector Ankush Mane.
