COUNTERFEIT NOTES
We often come across now and then about the seizure of counterfeit currency notes in large number valuing to a few thousands to lakhs of rupees. It keeps me wondering that, if those notes are indeed considered as counterfeit, how could they ever place any value on them? The question that evokes the curiosity among the common man is what happens to the persons caught carrying these fake notes and what happens to the fake currency notes that is so seized? Remains a mystery.
Are those who peddle such counterfeit notes punished under the law? Are those who are caught only scapegoats who are unlucky enough to be caught (very probably from a tip off by some informer – or worse a co-member of the same group who wishes to see his counterpart out of the business for some time)?
Whatever the answers to the above questions are, let them lie over for a while... The reason that I am not writing about this is that I happened to come across a hapless teenager (actually he was a teenager, probably a college student, and hapless only later) at the bank. The poor fellow had arrived at the bank to take a demand draft. When the officer at the counter informed him that the Rs.1000/- note he had presented was a fake, he was least amused by the information that he had just received – which proved beyond doubt that he was poor by Rs.1000/- in that instant. It also proved another frightening bare fact: that most of us who sometimes transact with such higher denomination rupee notes run a similar risk of getting landed with fake notes – because we are lazy and prefer carrying a smaller luggage in larger denominations that carrying a clumsy pack of much lesser denominations.
Coming to the incident, since he was educated, it did not require much effort on the part of the bank official to let him understand that that was a fake note. He was just a little bewildered, taking time to digest the info. The other customers too had the same sick feeling: that of insecurity at having to handle currency notes that could also be easily rejected as counterfeit.
Are those who peddle such counterfeit notes punished under the law? Are those who are caught only scapegoats who are unlucky enough to be caught (very probably from a tip off by some informer – or worse a co-member of the same group who wishes to see his counterpart out of the business for some time)?
Whatever the answers to the above questions are, let them lie over for a while... The reason that I am not writing about this is that I happened to come across a hapless teenager (actually he was a teenager, probably a college student, and hapless only later) at the bank. The poor fellow had arrived at the bank to take a demand draft. When the officer at the counter informed him that the Rs.1000/- note he had presented was a fake, he was least amused by the information that he had just received – which proved beyond doubt that he was poor by Rs.1000/- in that instant. It also proved another frightening bare fact: that most of us who sometimes transact with such higher denomination rupee notes run a similar risk of getting landed with fake notes – because we are lazy and prefer carrying a smaller luggage in larger denominations that carrying a clumsy pack of much lesser denominations.
Coming to the incident, since he was educated, it did not require much effort on the part of the bank official to let him understand that that was a fake note. He was just a little bewildered, taking time to digest the info. The other customers too had the same sick feeling: that of insecurity at having to handle currency notes that could also be easily rejected as counterfeit.
posted by senthil at 4:44 AM
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