Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, May 4: The police seized fake counterfeit currency notes worth Rs 81.3 lac from Somanna Gowda, Kiran Kumar and Nanje Gowda, when they were trying to sell fake currency notes. They printed the counterfeit notes as they wanted to become rich as fast as possible.

Somanna Gowda (38) is a conductor-cum-driver of Bangalore Metro Transport Corporation Ltd (BMTC), Nanje Gowda alias Swamy (32), happens to be a BMTC driver, and Kiran Kumar (24), is a photographer by profession. They were taken into custody from Kogilu Cross, Yelahanka. Counterfeit currency notes worth Rs 81.30 lac were seized from their possession.

On being produced in the court, all the three were remanded to judicial custody. The police are now hunting for Ramakrishna, who is said to be the mastermind behind this business.

The police said that Somanna Gowda came in contact with Ramakrishna through a friend. Ramakrishna used to convince people to invest with him with the promise of doubling their investment in a month. When giving the investments back, he used to hand over counterfeit currency. Gowda tried his hand at this, and got two lac rupees within a month after investing one lac rupees. He then sold his land and invested the entire sale proceeds of Rs 7.5 lac with Ramakrishna. Ramakrishna did not pay back the money. After waiting for six long months, Gowda threatened to end his life, duly leaving behind a death note blaming Ramakrishna.

Ramakrishna, who was taken aback, then trained him in making fake currency notes, after which Gowda rented a house at Garvebhavipalya, bought computers and colour printers and got into business. As it was difficult for him to manage the business alone, he roped in his colleague, Nanje Gowda. Nanje Gowda got Kumar, his friend from his native place, Hassan, to join the business as he was good at photo shop and computer jobs.

After producing about Rs 81 lac worth of currency, they contacted Ramakrishna, who asked them to bring Rs 50 lac notes for exchanging them with Rs 25 lac genuine notes. Ramakrishna asked them to deliver the consignment of notes to his representative near Kogilu Cross on April 26. The police team led by inspector, M B Ramakrishna Reddy, was tipped off about this illegal trade by someone. The team arrested the trio and confiscated the counterfeit currency notes.

It is gathered that BMTC has since suspended the services of the two employees involved with the scandal.