Idea From Shahid Kapoor's 'Farzi', Paper From Alibaba: 6 Arrested For Making Fake Notes

Police in Rajasthan's Dungarpur district have arrested four more people, including the alleged mastermind of a fake currency racket, taking the total number of arrests in the case to six. According to police, the accused were inspired by the web series 'Farzi' to produce and circulate counterfeit Indian currency.

The arrests were made following an investigation by the district police's cyber cell and a special team.

Dungarpur Superintendent of Police (SP) Manish Kumar said the case came to light on September 30, when police arrested two men, Bhavesh Khatik and Nayan Joshi, from the Mada School Ground in the Ramsagada police station area.

"On September 30, police arrested Bhavesh Khatik and Nayan Joshi with counterfeit Rs 500 notes worth Rs 4,95,500. During questioning, the name of Ravi Mishra, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, emerged as the mastermind behind the racket," SP Manish Kumar said.

Mastermind Arrested After 1,300-Km Chase

According to police, Ravi Kumar Mishra fled Dungarpur after learning about the investigation. He repeatedly changed his location to avoid arrest.

Police teams tracked his movements across states and eventually arrested him at Ludhiana railway station in Punjab.

"The accused was constantly changing his location to escape arrest. Our team pursued him for nearly 1,300 kilometres over three days before arresting him at Ludhiana railway station in Punjab," Mr Kumar said.

Following his arrest, police questioned Ravi Mishra about other people allegedly involved in the racket.

Based on information gathered during questioning and technical evidence collected by the cyber cell, separate police teams were sent to different states.

Three More Arrested From Haryana, Uttar Pradesh And Chhattisgarh

Police arrested Anand Rajput, a resident of Ambala in Haryana, who allegedly taught Ravi Mishra how to make counterfeit notes and helped him obtain paper through the online marketplace Alibaba.

Another accused, Arif Mohammad, also known as Ankit, was arrested in Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh.

According to police, Arif operated a Telegram channel called 'Ankit Paper Seller', through which he allegedly supplied paper used to produce fake currency.

A separate police team arrested Tarun Malekar, a resident of Chhattisgarh, who allegedly supplied Photoshop PSD files containing designs of Rs 500 notes to the mastermind.

"During questioning, we found that Anand Rajput had taught Ravi Mishra how to make counterfeit notes. Arif Mohammad supplied paper through a Telegram channel, while Tarun Malekar provided PSD files of Rs 500 notes," SP Manish Kumar said.

'Farzi' Web Series Gave Accused The Idea

Police said the accused got the idea of producing counterfeit Indian currency after watching the web series 'Farzi'.

The series, starring Shahid Kapoor, follows a talented artist who becomes involved in the world of counterfeit currency.

According to investigators, Anand Rajput, who allegedly trained the mastermind, learnt about printing fake notes through YouTube videos and Photoshop.

He also allegedly ordered special paper from the Chinese online marketplace Alibaba.

"During interrogation, the accused revealed that they got the idea of making counterfeit Indian currency after watching the web series 'Farzi'. Anand Rajput learnt the process through YouTube and Photoshop and ordered special paper from Alibaba," Mr Kumar said.

Police said the investigation helped them identify people allegedly involved in different stages of the operation, including sourcing materials, preparing designs and circulating counterfeit notes.

With the latest arrests, six people have been arrested in connection with the case.

(Reported by: Pravesh Jain)