The Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) has busted a counterfeit currency racket and arrested 7 people, including a Surat-based self-styled Godman Pradeep Jotangiya aka Pradip Guruji, and seized fake currency notes of Rs 500 denominations with a face value of Rs 2.38 crore. The counterfeit money — Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) — were intercepted from a vehicle in Ahmedabad’s Amraiwadi area and also from Surat.
Initial interrogation of the accused revealed that they had brought the FICN from Surat-based Satyam Yog Foundation (Dham) in the Kmarej region, the Ahmedabad DCB informed.
The DCB then passed on this information with the Surat crime branch and asked them to keep a close watch on the Ashram and also on the residence of one of the close aides of the accused Godman.
On March 19, Ahmedabad DCB raided the Surat Ashram and Mukesh Thummar’s residence and also arrested Bharatbhai Kakadiya aka Bharat Patel, according to The Indian Express. They also seized another Rs 28 lakh worth of fake currency notes in Rs 500 denominations along with printing machines, blank papers, colors, inks, among other things.
The seven accused arrested in the case have been identified as Pradeep Jotangiya aka Pradeep Guruji, Mukesh Thummar, Rameshbhai, Bharat Kakadiya, Ashok Mavani, Ramesh Balar, Divyesh Rana, and a woman.
According to the DCB, the self-styled Godman is being seen as the main accused in this case, while others are his followers. He runs the Surat-based Shree Satyam Yog Foundation.
All the seven accused were remanded to 10-day police custody on Friday by a city court in Ahmedabad.
PTI reported that were held after 42,000 fake notes of Rs 500 denomination were seized from a car, while another set of notes were recovered from a house in Surat, quoting Gujarat Police official. Currency bundles were recovered from a black bag and concealed packaging inside a white SUV on Wednesday.
What Are The Charges Against Seven Accused
The accused have been charged under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 178 (counterfeiting currency-notes), 180 (possession of forged currency), 181 (having instruments to forge currency) and 61(2) dealing with criminal conspiracy, Ahmedabad Crime Branch Inspector SJ Jadeja said.
Why Pradip Jotangiya Was Involved in Fake Currency Notes Racket
Police said accused Pradeep Jotangiya or Pradip Guruji, established Shri Satyam Yog Foundation in Kamrej in 2008, and the fake currency notes plan was devised after it ran out of funds.
The accused, who were associated with the Yoga foundation, began printing counterfeit currency four months ago, an official said, adding that Jotangiya had also attempted suicide in 2018 over a financial dispute in Kamrej.
How Jotangiya Was Printing Fake Currency Notes
According to police, the racket was led by Mukesh Thummar, who arranged printers, paper cutting machines, etc., and had also procured security thread paper resembling RBI markings from Chinese sources through online platforms like Alibaba using digital payment gateways such as cryptocurrency.
The accused had formulated a printing set up at a residential building in Surat, including professional printers and cutting machines.
Incidentally, the SUV from which fake notes were seized had a ‘VVIP’ sticker as well as a plate with ‘Shri Satyam Yog Foundation Recognized by Ayush Mantralay, Govt. of India’ written on it.
How Accused Were Putting Fake Notes into Circulation
According to The Indian Express, the accused at first printed a small batch of counterfeit notes and circulated them through agents. After observing the response, they later started printing them in large numbers and circulated them in local markets.
Police said they (the accused) circulated counterfeit currency with a face value of Rs 20 lakh and were paying 20-25 per cent commission to agents.
The seized fake currency notes were sent to the Reserve Bank of India and FSL for testing, where it was found that they were of high quality. The paper was imported to India while the notes were being printed at Mukesh Thumper’s house in Sarthana.
While a further investigation into the case is underway, the police are also tracing the source of the high-quality paper that the accused were using to print the counterfeit notes.
How Police Nabbed Pradeep Jotangiya
The Ahmedabad DCB, acting on a tip-off that a huge consignment of fake currency was entering the city closely followed the accused’s movements and kept an eagle eye at the Amraiwadi center. When the cops witnessed some suspicious movement, they held the suspects.
Where Was The Fake Currency Consignment Being Transported
According to officials, the counterfeit currency notes were being transported to Satyam Yog Foundation. The vehicles that had been seized bore government of India and Ministry of AYUSH markings, which they accused may have been used to disguise law enforcement agencies.
What Did the Accused Reveal?
During the questioning, one of the accused informed police that fake currency notes were being printed in Varachha, Surat. Acting on this information, the cops raided the location and witnessed a printing set up including machines, raw material, and documents.
So far during the investigation, the crime branch has seized several key documents and technical equipment that were being used for printing notes.
The police have also questioned accused Pradeep’s brother Amit Jotangia, who currently oversees yoga classes, as they were trying to trace financial links and his involvement in the fake currency case.
What Was the Modus Operandi Behind Fake Currency Scandal?
The New Indian Express quoted the Crime Branch that the accused, as per a scheme, were offering genuine Rs 500 notes to exchange them for fake currency worth Rs 1500. They were planning a new deal where they would trade Rs 66 in original currency for fake notes worth Rs 2 crore.
Investigation into the case is still underway to nab other accused and unearth the full distribution network of fake currency.
According to TOI, the accused told police that the fake currency racket was to raise funds for the social welfare activities of the Satyam Yog Foundation.
During the questioning, accused Jotangiya told cops that he was short of money to support and provide treatment and accommodation to those who were coming to the yog centre, therefore they decided to arrange the funds illegally.
However, police refused to buy the argument that the entire motive behind the fake currency racket was social welfare as they were already looking out for agents to push the money into circulation.
Pradeep Jotangiya’s Political Links
Pradeep Jotangiya had set up the Satyam Yog Foundation in 2008 at Dhora Pardi Village in Kamrej. According to TOI sources, he maintained close ties with politicians, as many of them had been visiting his centre.
