Fake currency racket busted in Karnataka's Davangere, 6 held with notes worth Rs 7.7 lakh

Police also confiscated other items such as a car, laptops, colour printers and paper cutters.

Davangere: Police busted a fake currency racket involved in printing and circulating fake Indian currency and nabbed six persons and confiscated notes worth Rs 7.7 lakh, a car, laptops, colour printers and paper cutters.

Speaking to media persons, here on Wednesday, Superintendent of Police Uma Prashanth said following tip-off on attempts to circulate fake Indian currency notes, police rushed to the service road near Hanagawadi village in Harihar taluk and nabbed two persons-Talavara Kuberappa (58) and Harish (29), residents of Davangere taluk and seized Rs 37,000 fake notes of Rs 500 denominations. Based on the details given by them, police nabbed J Rudresh (39), native of Bhadravathi taluk, Manoj Gowda (21) of T Narasipur taluk, Mysuru district, Sandeep (30) of Mandya district, Krishna Naik (28) of Holalkere taluk and seized Rs 9,000 fake notes of Rs 500 denominations and a car used to circulate fake Indian currency notes. Later, the police rushed to Mysuru and raided a rented house of Rudresh at Kuragalli Megala Koppalu in Mysuru district where fake notes were being printed and seized fake notes and Rs 43,000 valid notes.

She also stated that police team also seized 718 fake notes of Rs 500 denominations, 570 fake notes of Rs 500 denominations with one side print and 803 fake notes of Rs 200 denominations with two sides print. The accused had been remanded to judicial custody. There were fake note cases registered against Kuberappa and Harish at Harihar rural station and Hosapete town police station in 2022.

Rs 13 lakh fake currency notes already circulated

Superintendent of Police Uma Prashanth said Kuberappa and Rudresh, prime accused in the case, were facing fake currency note cases and they were out on bail. They used to circulate fake notes along with valid notes in crowded shops, fairs and at night. During the interrogation, they admitted that they have already circulated around Rs 13 lakh fake currency notes over the last three months. Rudresh, MB.A graduate, had suffered loss in poultry farming during Covid-19. His efforts to get employment failed to produce desirable results. This prompted him to get into a fake currency note racket. Rudresh came in contact with Kuebrappa, who has farming land adjacent to his poultry farm. Rudresh, tech savvy, had learnt technical skills of printing fake currency notes. Sandeep and Manoj assisted him in printing fake currency notes. Kuberappa, Harish and Krishna Naik were circulating them. They had purchased all pre-owned materials in the market to print fake currency notes.