Details are emerging about a scam in which a bullion trader based in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad received payment for 2.1 kg of gold in fake notes featuring Bollywood actor Anupam Kher’s face.
On Wednesday, the city Crime Branch arrested three individuals who disclosed the details of their plan. The accused are identified as Deepak Rajput, 32, from Aslali; Narendra Jadhav, 36, from Naroda; and Kalpesh Mehta, 45, from Krishnanagar.
The con involved fabricating a film project, selecting an appropriate face for the fake notes, and establishing a phoney Angadia firm. The unusual choice of Kher’s image started a meme fest on social media, prompting the actor to comment on the incident himself.
The gang went to great lengths to make the scam appear legitimate, involving the creation of a fictitious film project, designing the fake currency notes, and setting up a fake angadia (courier) service.
The city’s crime branch, led by Inspector D B Patel, tracked down the suspects, who revealed extensive details of their plan upon interrogation.
The crime branch recovered 18 gold bars worth nearly Rs 1.37 crore, 300 fake notes with Kher’s image, and three mobile phones valued at Rs 21,000.
However, four other individuals, including Bhupesh Surati from Mumbai and Vijendra Bhattar from Jaipur, are still on the run.
Allegedly the mastermind, Rajput, disguised himself as a Sikh man to approach the bullion trader, Mehul Thakkar, at his C G Road office. After finalising the costs, he escaped on a motorbike driven by Jadhav, while Mehta, a graphic designer, was responsible for the unique currency design.
According to the police, Mehta chose Anupam Kher’s face for the notes due to its resemblance to Mahatma Gandhi, aiming to lend credibility to the fake currency under the pretext of a film production.
Police records indicate that Rajput has a history of similar cons. He previously bought gold worth Rs 70 lakh using fake notes in 2021. Additionally, he has been booked in three other cheating cases, filed with Paldi police in the city, Makarpura in Vadodara, and Chhota Udepur police between 2018 and 2020.
Police suspect that Rajput sold some gold bars to compensate victims in a prior case, where a Rajasthan court found him guilty of embezzling funds from a cooperative.
The police are currently pursuing the remaining suspects, hoping to shut down the entire operation.
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