Denomination effect: 2 held in Punjab on charge of printing fake Rs 2,000 notes

Within days of issuance of Rs 2,000 denomination notes, two men were arrested in Tarn Taran district of Punjab, bordering Pakistan, on charge of printing colour copies of the new currency notes.

Harjinder Singh and Sandeep, along with two others, were printing the new Rs 2,000 notes in Bhikhiwind village, 40 km from Amritsar, to circulate these in the market and make a fast buck, the Punjab Police said.

The government had on November 10 issued the new notes of Rs 2,000 denomination in the wake of November 8 demonetisation of the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

"Since most people have not seen the Rs 2,000 notes till now, the accused wanted to take advantage of the situation," a police officer said.

The arrested men had scanned the new notes to obtain their colour prints, police official Gurdeep Singh said.

The police seized fake currency notes, printer, scanner and computer of the accused.

"A case of counterfeiting currency has been registered against them. Further investigations and raids are in progress and more arrests are likely soon," the police officer said.