In a recent harrowing experience, a Bengaluru businessman discovered counterfeit currency in bundles supposedly containing genuine 500 rupee notes. The incident, which left him visibly distressed and sweating upon opening the bundles sealed with a bank stamp, underscores a growing concern over counterfeit money circulating in the region. According to police, Divyansh Sanklecha, proprietor of a furniture outlet in Indiranagar, required an urgent sum of Rs 30 lakh. Unable to travel to Delhi himself, he enlisted the help of his relative Jyoti Babu based in Delhi. Sanklecha’s father took on the task of coordinating with relatives and friends to gather the required funds.
On July 2, Sanklecha’s father received a call from an individual identifying himself as Ramesh. Claiming to have been referred by mutual acquaintances, Ramesh assured that his associates were prepared to collect the Rs 30 lakh from Babu in Delhi. He further promised that upon receipt, another associate named Suresh would deliver the funds to them in Bengaluru.
Sanklecha reportedly forwarded Babu’s information to Ramesh. Around 2 am on July 3, Suresh contacted him, confirming that Rs 30 lakh was prepared and instructing him to retrieve the cash at Marathahalli. Upon arriving at the designated location, Suresh and an accomplice entered Sanklecha’s vehicle and handed him bundles of Rs 500 notes, each bundle bearing bank seals.
After receiving the cash, Sanklecha contacted Babu to inform him of the transaction. Upon returning home and inspecting the bundles, he discovered that only the top and bottom notes of each bundle were genuine, while the remainder were counterfeit. Shocked by this realisation, he came to the distressing conclusion that he had fallen victim to a scam.
According to reports, this is not an isolated case. In recent weeks, there have been multiple instances of businessmen falling victim to similar scams involving fake currency amounting to approximately Rs 92 lakh. In two separate incidents, businessmen sought investments from acquaintances, only to receive bundles of counterfeit notes in return.
Similar fraudulent activities have also been reported in Karnataka’s Kolar, where another businessman found himself in possession of fake currency. In response to these alarming incidents, the Central Crime Branch (CCB) has initiated investigations. Authorities suspect that the perpetrators may have acquired the counterfeit notes through illegal channels such as hawala.
The investigations are ongoing as the affected businessmen seek justice and efforts intensify to curb the circulation of counterfeit currency in the area.
Prem Kumar Jain, a cloth businessman from Chickpet, also filed a similar complaint. Jain informed the authorities that he required Rs 25 lakh and approached his friend Bipin for assistance. Bipin assured Jain that his associate Mahi would arrange the funds from Delhi. Jain received a call from a person named Jayesh, who claimed to have the capability to transport large sums of money to Bengaluru. Jain then provided Mahi’s details to Jayesh.