02 December,2016 07:00 AM IST | | Suraj Ojha
Mumbai police arrest husband of a GRP constable for allegedly running racket of fake, now defunct, currency notes. He allegedly planned to use them at govt hospitals and pharmacies
Mumbai Crime: GRP constable's husband held for running fake notes racket
Vyankateshwar Rao ran the racket from his Dadar quarters; told cops he planned to use fake notes at government hospitals and pharmacies
The husband of a Government Railway Police (GRP) constable has been arrested by the Mumbai crime branch's property cell for allegedly running a racket of fake, now defunct, currency notes out of the railway police quarters in Dadar for the past one-and-a-half years.
Defunct notes are being accepted as legal tender at government hospitals and pharmacies, railway ticket counters, and for purchase of prepaid coupons at tollbooths as well as LPG cylinders till December 15.
Crime branch sources said G Vyankateshwar Rao, the spouse of a GRP constable posted at Dadar, was arrested from his house, following a tip-off, on November 30 and fake currency valued at Rs 79,000 recovered from him. Rao is a small-time farmer in Junnar, Pune.
"We seized 23 fake notes in Rs 1,000 denominations and 112 notes of Rs 500. His wife claimed that she was not aware of this racket being run out their home," said a crime branch officer. The GRP constable, however, is still being considered a suspect.
Rao has told the police that he wanted to use the fake notes at government hospitals and pharmacies since in the chaos since demonetisation, few are checking the authenticity of defunct notes.
The railway quarters in Dadar West from where the fake notes were seized. Pics/Nimesh Dave
Another crime branch officer said they began to close in on Rao following an arrest by the Wadala TT police in a fake note racket a few months ago. The arrested man, from whom R3.5 lakh in fake notes was recovered, revealed Rao's links with the racket. Since then, the police had been keeping a close watch on Rao whereabouts.
The crime branch suspects that there are more people involved in the racket in and around the city and its property cell has formed three teams to fan out to different locations in their search.
