This morning Chandigarh woke up to the news that shook it to the core.
Fake Rs. 2000 denomination circulating here!
What turned the terrifying news into a distressing one when it was known the masterminds behind the forgery were two well educated youth, just 20-21 years of age.
Abhinav Verma has a B.Tech degree to his name and is into manufacturing sensors to be installed in visually handicapped devices. His ‘Live Braille’, a wearable technology innovation that helped visually impaired to walk around without the aid of a walking stick, was the one of the most celebrated innovation last year. He even got a mention by Indian Prime Minister at the Indian Science Congress in Bengaluru. Abhinav, who once said that he wanted to “change the lives of 50 million blind people in India” with his “freedom device” is now behind bars for duping people. His accomplice is his own cousin, Vishakha Verma is an MBA student. Her father is an engineer working with the rail coach factory in Kapurthala. The greed to become overnight millionaires blinded them to take the laws in their hands.
Since the night of November 8, 2016, when PM Modi denomitised 500 and 1000 denomination, the black money hoarders are running pillar to post to save their money. There have been floating news on the commission agents who are helping black money hoarders in ‘adjusting’ their illicit money, but the duo did an unimaginable! They printed the only a few days old brand new denomination with a mere scanner and used the red beacon car to escape the traffic police nakkas!
What went in their favour was lack of information on the specifics of new denomination among the general public and the panic among the black money hoarders. The panic-stricken hoarders took little to their minds to crosscheck the authenticity of their ‘well-wishers’ or the notes themselves and parked crores to fetch what values cipher now.
The incident has become a distasteful pill for the people in the tricity. Already due to cash crunch people are facing problems in their daily lives, with this news they have become all the more apprehensive. There is a general trust deficit and people are doubting the denomination they have in their hands.
What happened is definitely shameful, but we need to be more careful than ever. Periods of change are tough, however we need to arm ourselves with the right information instead losing hope.
What we can do instead:
- Know about the intricacies of new currency. RBI always take stringent measures to ensure that duplicacy is cut down. Know your Rs. 2000 currency
- Dimensions: 66mm X 166mm
- Colour: Purple
- Devnagri Script: Denominational numeral 2,000 has been written in Devnagri script in micro letters. Also, RBI is written on the left side of the note in the same language.
- Register in Light: A see-through register and numeral 2,000 can be seen when the currency is held against light.
- Mahatma Gandhi portrait in the centre. Also, electrotype watermarks along with governor’s signature, promise clause and RBI emblem are placed on the right side.
- Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM): On the reverse side, the image of Mangalgyan and logo and tagline of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan can be seen.
- Color Change from Green to Blue: A windowed security thread with Bharat, RBI and 2,000 in scripted. Color of the thread changes from green to blue when the note is slightly tilted.
- For Visually Impaired: On the right side of Mahatma Gandhi’s portrait, there is a Ashoka Pillar Emblem. There are seven bleed lines and a rectangle for the visually imapired to identify the shape.
- Latent Image: Denomination numeral can be seen when the note is held at an angle of 45-degree.
What helps you to differentiate between an original and a fake one is latent images along with colored strip security threads and watermarks.
- Cash Withdrawal: Always withdraw the cash from banks and ATMs or go cashless.
Be alert!
Image Credits: Google Images