India
NIA Nabs Fugitive PNB Manager in ₹17 Crore Counterfeit Currency Case
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested Amit Kumar, a bank manager who had been evading capture, in connection with a counterfeit currency conspiracy at a Punjab National Bank (PNB) currency chest in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Kumar, who was named in the original FIR, was apprehended in Chandigarh on September 7. He was presented before a Special NIA Court in Chandigarh, which granted a two-day transit remand allowing his transfer to the Special NIA Court in Lucknow. In an official statement, the NIA said it had arrested Kumar, described as a bank employee and key accused named in the FIR, in relation to the conspiracy involving counterfeit currency notes at the PNB currency chest in Saharanpur, under case RC-02/2026/NIA/LKW. The case stems from the discovery of fake Indian currency notes worth approximately ₹17.29 crore at the PNB currency chest in Saharanpur on August 29, 2026. Initially, a case was filed on August 29 at Sadar Bazar Police Station in Saharanpur under Section 178 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, naming three individuals. During preliminary investigations, the involvement of three PNB employees came to light, leading to their suspension by the bank. The NIA took over the case, re-registering it on September 3, 2026, and is now investigating the broader conspiracy, including how the counterfeit currency was sourced, procured, and circulated, as well as identifying other individuals potentially involved. Amit Kumar had served as a PNB manager and was a joint custodian of the currency chest at the time of the alleged offense, making him one of three bank employees named in the FIR. The NIA stated that its investigation remains ongoing as it works to fully expose the conspiracy and apprehend other suspects still at large. Earlier this month, Uttar Pradesh Police had formed a special investigation team (SIT) to examine the alleged circulation and storage of the counterfeit currency, later expanding the probe to nearby districts and the states of Haryana and Uttarakhand. The scam first came to light when a discrepancy was discovered in the currency being transferred from the PNB branch at Ghantaghar in Saharanpur to the RBI currency chest in Jaipur. This prompted an audit that began on August 9, during which officials uncovered 148 bundles of fake currency, each containing 1,000 counterfeit ₹500 notes, initially valued at ₹7.40 crore. As the audit progressed, the total value of counterfeit currency detected rose to nearly ₹17 crore. CCTV footage later revealed that Vishal Kumar, a part-time housekeeper working inside the currency chest, had been removing notes from the bundles.