Chandigarh: The National Investigation Agency arrested bank employee Amit Kumar from Chandigarh in connection with the alleged circulation and storage of counterfeit currency amounting to over 17 crore rupees discovered inside a Punjab National Bank currency chest in Saharanpur. Kumar was presented before the Special NIA Court in Chandigarh on Tuesday, where the anti-terror agency requested a three-day transit remand to transfer him to Lucknow for comprehensive interrogation.
The federal agency’s public prosecutor submitted to the court that the Uttar Pradesh Police initially registered a first information report on August 29 under Section 178 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, after fake notes with a face value of 17.29 crore rupees were detected within the state-run bank’s chest facility. The initial complaint named three bank personnel, including Kumar, who served as the manager of the Saharanpur branch and acted as one of the designated joint custodians of the high-security vault.
Recognizing the gravity and national security implications of the massive counterfeit cache, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs transferred the probe from local police to the NIA on September 3. Investigators subsequently tracked down Kumar and took him into custody in Chandigarh on Monday.
Federal prosecutors argued before the court that transit remand was essential to present the accused before the designated Special NIA Court in Lucknow. Investigators emphasized the necessity of uncovering the broader network, specifically aiming to trace the origin, procurement channels, distribution logistics, and cross-border or domestic links tied to the fake currency syndicate.
Following the submissions, the Special Judge of the NIA Court in Chandigarh ruled that a two-day transit remand was sufficient considering the travel distance and logistical requirements between Chandigarh and Lucknow. The judge instructed the investigative agency to produce the accused manager before the competent jurisdiction court within the stipulated two-day timeframe.
