The Ahmedabad Police uncovered an alleged interstate counterfeit currency racket while investigating a murder case in the Vatva area. They seized fake Indian currency notes with a face value of Rs 28.94 lakh and arrested six suspects. The operation originated from the murder investigation registered at Vatva Police Station under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
During the probe, authorities found equipment and materials for producing counterfeit Indian currency in a flat linked to the deceased accused, Imran Sabbir Sindha. It was revealed that Sindha and his associates had been running a counterfeit currency manufacturing unit from a rented house at Satej Homes in Vatva since March 16. The group allegedly stored specialized equipment, printed fake currency, and distributed it through various individuals for circulation in the market.
The accused were involved in a criminal conspiracy to manufacture and circulate counterfeit Indian currency notes. Counterfeit Rs 500 notes were recovered from the possession of accused Virendrasinh alias Viru Baghel and Chandramohan Sharma during the investigation. Vatva Police registered a separate offense under Sections 61(2)(a), 178, 179, 180, and 181 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita based on the findings.
Multiple teams of the Local Crime Branch (LCB) Zone-8 and Vatva Police Station were formed to identify all involved in the operation and recover counterfeit currency. The investigation, supervised by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-8) Mayur Patil, revealed that the accused, along with Sindha, had manufactured counterfeit currency worth around Rs 60 lakh. After Sindha’s murder, the group allegedly removed counterfeit notes worth about Rs 30 lakh from his possession along with equipment used in producing the fake currency.
The probe extended beyond Gujarat, with counterfeit currency notes and equipment recovered from the residence of accused Chandramohan Sharma in Agra district, Uttar Pradesh. Additionally, equipment allegedly used in the operation was traced to the residence of a relative of accused Virendrasinh alias Viru Baghel in Dholpur district, Rajasthan. A total of Rs 28,94,800 in counterfeit Indian currency notes was recovered during the operation, leading to the arrest of Meraj Rabari, a farmer from Banaskantha district.
