Fake notes in banks' sealed packets

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Nov. 6: Fake currencies have flooded in the open market and even the bankers have failed to detect these, Malda traders’ body alleged today.The Malda merchants’ chamber of commerce leaders expressed concern over the fake currency menace after receiving fake currency from the bank’s sealed bundle. Mr Sudipta Roy, a local trader, was embarrassed when the UBI officials of its Netaji Market branch in English Bazaar town refused to accept Rs 50,000 after detection of a fake Rs 500 note from a packet sealed by Malda district central co-operative bank.Mr Roy withdrew the money from MDCCB evening branch and was depositing it to UBI. The bank officials suggested him to inform the matter to the MDCCB bank authorities to get the original one.Similarly the district secretary of the Malda Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce Mr Jayanta Kundu today detected a fake Rs 500 note from a sealed packet made by the branch of Indus Ind Bank in Malda. Just after detection of only one fake currency out of 100 pieces of Rs 500 notes of the sealed packet he sent it back to the branch seeking them to change the packet. “The bank has finally changed the packet”, Mr. Kundu told The Statesman. Showing a fake Rs 1000 note (7 DN 610511) Mr Kundu said: “We are in great problem to tackle fake currency menace. One of my customers gave it during his payment and my staff has failed to detect it as fake as he received the payment”.“I have informed him about the matter to pay an original one and then I would destroy the fake note,” he said.No body including traders and banks are interested to inform about fake currency detection to police to avoid ‘unnecessary harassment’.“Many traders have been victimised receiving fake currencies during transaction. Traders would be either arrested or harassed if they inform police”, a leader of traders’ body said.The chairman of the Malda district central co-operative bank Mr. Tushar Bhattacharjee said: “I do not have information on this. I will be out of town and as soon as I come back, I will do something to safeguard the reputation of our bank. We have a fake currency detection machine and I do not know how our staff made these packets,” Mr Bhattacherjee said. Indus-Ind Bank officials denied the incident. “It is a common feature. Bank does not inform us despite several reminders to the lead bank manager in several meeting to curb the menace”, said Mr DK Mondal, Malda SP. He said that in order to arrest the persons concerned, they need complaints against the bank from its customers. #