Jaipur: City police seized counterfeit currency with a face value of Rs 3.45 lakh Monday from a 33-year-old man who allegedly planned to circulate the notes during the upcoming Panchayati Raj elections and festive season. All the seized notes were in the denomination of Rs 500.The operation was carried out by Commissionerate Special Team (CST) following a tip-off from Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) unit.“The team detained the accused, identified as Shahwaz Khan, and recovered counterfeit Rs 500 notes from his possession. He is a resident of Nahri Ka Naka in Shastri Nagar,” Special Commissioner of Police Om Prakash told TOI.During preliminary questioning, Khan allegedly told police that he had procured the counterfeit currency from Jama Masjid area of Old Delhi. He was planning to circulate the notes in the market, taking advantage of increased cash transactions during the election period and festive season, police said.Police have handed over the seized currency to Bhatta Basti police station for further investigation and legal action.“We need to establish how these notes reached Jaipur and whether other people are involved in the racket,” Om Prakash said.Investigators are probing the source of counterfeit notes and the circumstances under which they were brought to Jaipur. They are also examining whether the accused was part of a larger network involved in manufacturing or distributing fake currency.The CST team that conducted the operation comprised sub-inspector Prakash Veer, head constables Marghoob and Ramkishan, and constables Lalit Kumar, Ramdayal, Bablu Krishna and Bhanwar Singh.
