Question : FAKE CURRENCY

(a) whether the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police arrested some persons at the Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station of Delhi with fake currency notes in the denomination of Rs.5, Rs.100 and Rs.500, amounting to Rs.1.84 lakhs;

(b) if so, the details thereof and whether any diary or other items were also seized from the arrested persons;

(c) the country from which these fake notes were brought in the country for which these were meant;

(d) whether the I.S.I. or foreign countries or any foreign power is behind this racket;

(e) if so, the details thereof; and

(f) the action taken by the Government against the arrested persons and concrete steps taken to check the fake currency racket ?

MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI L.K.ADVANI)

(a)to(f) A Statement is laid on the table of the House.

STATEMENT REFFERED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 161 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 7.3.2000

(a) & (b) Delhi Police recovered on 11th February,2000 fake currency notes amounting to Rs. 1.84 Lakhs in the denominations of Rs.500/- and Rs.100/- from a resident of Delhi at Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station of Delhi. The other items recovered from his possession were; on mobile phone; Rs.200/- in cash; a gold chain; a gold ring; a wrist watch; and a two-wheeler. No diary, however, was recovered from his possession.

(c) to (e) On interrogation, the accused person desclosed that he had received the fake currency from another resident of Delhi. The Police team which was deputed to visit the latter`s residence for questioning found that he had already vacated the rented premises and was absconding. The investigation conducted so far has not established any linkage between the accused and any foreign country or agency.

(f)
(i) An FIR was registered at Hazrat Nizamuddin Police Station on the date of seizure of fake currency notes and arrest.

(ii) The measures taken by the Government to detect and prevent circulation of fake currency in the country include:

(i) Printing of currency notes with additional security features;
(ii) Issue of press releases from time to time by the Reserve Bank of India to educate the public to distinguish between genuine and fake currency notes:
(iii) Creation of a Special Unit under the Central Bureau of Investigation for exclusive investigation of cases of counterfeit currency;
(iv) Alerting the forward troops of the Border Security Force to be more vigilant so as to ensure that fake currency notes are not smuggled into the country; and
(v) Setting up of a Committee by the Ministry of Finance for examining cases of counterfeit currency and recommend remedial measures that should be taken by the note printing presses from time to time.