Fraudster Kolhapur doctor gets the boot from alert cobbler

Aurangzeb Nadaf alerted the police

An alert cobbler-cum-shoe hawker helped the police arrest a 33-year-old Kolhapur doctor for allegedly preparing fake notes of Rs 2000 with the help of a machine at his clinic.

The missing watermark
The Laxmipur police have registered a case of forgery and cheating against Dr Sudhir Raoshaheb Kumbhar, resident of Nagala Park in Kolhapur.

Speaking to mid-day, Somwar Peth resident Aurangzeb Nadaf (38) said, "On Thursday around 11 am, Kumbhar got out of his car and came to my stall to buy shoes. He liked a pair that was for '275. We haggled and agreed on '200. He gave me the pink '2,000 note and demanded change. I told him that the note wasn't good and to give another.

The machine Dr Kumbhar used to print the fake notes

He produced another one and I realised the watermark was missing on both. While I kept him engaged in talks, I asked my helper to call the police. As soon as they came, I handed over the two fake notes to them." "Later in the evening, the police called me in and felicitated me, as I helped them crack a big case," he added.

His own mint
Senior PI Tanaji Sawant said, "Kumbhar has done his BHMS. He came to Kolhapur six months back. At his clinic, we noticed that with the help of scanners, a printer, a cutter and Excel Bond paper, he prepared the notes. We have also found out that he has used the same modus operandi in the past to forge '20 and '100 notes."

"We have recovered '17,000 cash from his clinic; in this, only eight notes were of '2000, the rest were of '100," he added. "Kumbhar is not cooperating in the investigation. He claimed that one time a patient had given him a fake '2,000 note. Angered by that, he decided to start doing the same, he said."

Late last evening, he was produced in the court of a judicial magistrate (First Class) and has been sent to police custody till December 19.