Nagpur: In a major success, Sitabuldi Police in Nagpur arrested 4-member gang of fraudsters red-handed while attempting to deceive a man with counterfeit currency. The police seized counterfeit notes of Rs 500, Rs 200, and Rs 100 denominations with a face value of Rs 25 lakh on Tuesday.
The accused have been identified as Satish Dnyandev Gaikwad (29), a resident of Wadoda village in Malkapur tehsil of Buldhana district; Gautam Raju Bhalavi (21) and Shubham Sahdev Pradhan (27), both residents of IC Chowk, Hingna Road, Nagpur; Monu alias Shabbir Balakat Sheikh (27), a resident of Hingna Road, Nagpur.
Gold Rate
Monday 31March 2025
According to the police, Rahul Vasudev Thakur (31), a resident of Sushila Nagar, Zingabai Takli, in Nagpur, clicked on an advertisement on Facebook on Monday night and was directed to a phone number. He noted down the number and dialled it. The person, who answered the call, assured him of providing Rs 8 lakh against Rs 2 lakh and claimed to have printing machines for Indian currency notes.
Suspecting fraud, Thakur informed the police about the deal which led them to lay a trap and arrest the fraudsters red-handed when they handed over a bag to Thakur at Maharajbagh in the evening on Tuesday. Upon inspection, the police discovered 44 bundles of notes in the bag. To their astonishment, each bundle contained counterfeit notes and plain paper notes with one genuine currency note on each side. The accused, along with the counterfeit notes, were taken to the Sitabuldi police station for further investigation.
Police stated that the accused had defrauded several persons so far and had contacted the victim via WhatsApp call during the dealing. The police mentioned that the accused are currently being interrogated to determine the extent of their fraudulent activities. The police added that charges would be filed against the accused.
A bag with Rs 25 lakh cash
The accused arranged the note bundles in a manner designed to deceive by placing genuine currency notes on both sides of the bundles of fake notes. They then wrapped the bundles with wrappers to prevent them from being easily opened. When questioned by Thakur, they claimed that the bundles contained Rs 25 lakh printed from the machine they possess.
