FAKE CURRENCIES CAN LAND YOU IN JAIL
Don't be surprised if you get
fake notes when you withdraw money from the ATM or the neighbourhood bank. For not all the money getting into the system is genuine — considering the huge gap between seizures and actual circulation of fake currency notes in the country.
The trouble doesn't end there. You will not just be poorer, but you may also face the risk of being jailed. The rule book says that there is no question of a refund or compensation even if you are cheated. So, if you cannot explain the source from where you got the currency note, the law will surely catch up with you.
"Legally, you are not supposed to possess fake currency notes. Otherwise, you will need to explain from where you got them. If you can't, you may be detained for questioning," said DCP (crime and railways), Delhi Police, Neeraj Thakur.
The extent of circulation of counterfeit currency is enormous, with cases being reported from every nook and corner of the country. But five states — UP, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra and Karnataka — have reported the maximum seizure of fake notes.
The rule book says that there is no question of a refund or compensation even if you are cheated. Take the case of 25-year-old Rakesh Singh, who landed in trouble while he was shopping in a mall at Saket in south Delhi. "I went to a shop and bought clothes and when I was making the payment, the cashier told me that four notes of Rs 500 denomination were fake," he said.
The shopkeeper informed the police and Singh was questioned. "The cops allowed me to go only after I explained the entire situation to them and presented the ATM receipt from where I had withdrawn the money. But that was not enough. I was poorer by Rs 2,000," Singh added.
There are many like Singh who lose their money as they unknowingly come in possession of counterfeit notes and prefer not to report the matter. Many believe that the only way to handle this problem is to educate people so that every citizen exercises vigilance.
"The government should also encourage fair and fearless reporting of fake currency cases. In normal circumstances, a person reporting the matter becomes the primary suspect. This leads to a tendency wherein people prefer to suffer a loss than face the hassle involved in registering a case and then going to court," said a senior cop.