NIA probes ₹11,000-salaried worker linked to ₹17 crore 5 houses, SUV and sedan found in PNB fake currency chest: Report | Today’s news
Contract worker with a monthly income of approx ₹11,000 is under scrutiny in an investigation into the value of the counterfeit money ₹17.29 crore was found in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) currency counter in Saharanpur, according to a Hindustan Times report citing a police officer familiar with the case.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is probing the worker’s assets and financial transactions, as well as his links to the cashier, who was suspended by the bank.
A foreign exchange box is a facility operated by a bank to hold and handle large amounts of cash on behalf of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Did the contractor have access to the cash handling area?
The contract worker, who was posted as a driver-loader at the till, is believed to own five houses, an SUV, a sedan and two motorcycles, the officer said. Investigators are now looking into when the properties and vehicles were purchased, under which names they were registered and how the purchases were financed.
The officer said the agencies have so far found no direct evidence linking these assets to the counterfeit currency. However, the worker’s alleged closeness to suspended cashier manager Amit Kumar led investigators to probe whether he had any role in the case.
According to the police officer, the worker was officially responsible for tasks related to management and handling. However, investigators are looking into allegations that he spent significant time at the till and worked in a similar capacity to the manager’s personal assistant.
“His access to the facility, the nature of the work he actually performed and whether he had access to the cash handling area are being investigated,” the officer said in a report.
The lifestyle of the worker also came under the crosshairs of the investigators. Despite the earnings ₹11,000 per month, he employed another driver for approx ₹500 per day rather than driving regularly himself. Investigators are examining property deeds, bank accounts, vehicle registrations and payment records to see if his declared income can explain the assets linked to him.
Police searched his residence in Manakmau on Wednesday and seized documents and other materials which are now being examined. Examining his assets is important as investigators try to trace the value of the counterfeit currency ₹17.29 million crowns reached the PNB coffers intended for real cash. The NIA is probing whether fake notes were used to replace legitimate currency and if so, where the original cash went.
Investigators are also looking into the possibility of a wider network operating behind the case, including potential links outside India. The report said cash and bank transaction records are being analyzed to determine how the counterfeit notes entered the financial system and whether any were subsequently put into circulation.
