Rajkot: Nearly 10 years after three big fake currency seizures in Saurashtra, one of the prime accused in all the offences was nabbed from Chotila town of Surendrangar district on Friday.
Police arrested the absconding accused Siraj alias Chintu Kapadia following specific information that he would be coming to meet his family members.
Siraj’s name had cropped up in the questioning of other persons arrested in fake currency seizures in Chotila, Gadhada town (now in Botad district) and Rajkot city in three months from July to September. Main accused Magan Koli, a native of Jasdan, had also named Siraj in his statement.
Lakhs of fake currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denominations were seized from Rajkot’s Kabirvan Society in Bedipara area on August 26, 2007. Police had arrested two persons — Ashok Sakariya and Ashwin Khunt — in the case. On September 27, the Gadhda police officials nabbed Ramesh alias Gambhi Bhurwashiya and Zalabhai Ratadia with counterfeit notes from bus stand of Tatam village. The Chotila police had also seized similar notes from two persons — Abhay Shah and Ranu Khachar — near a highway hotel in the town on July 16.
Siraj was named in all these offences. However, he immediately managed to flee India and went to the US where his mother Sakina and brother Salim are living for the past several years. In California, Siraj worked as a hotel waiter initially and then started driving a taxi. “He was also arrested there for keeping a stolen car and had got bail later,” deputy superintendent of police, Limbdi, Pradeepsinh Jadeja said.
During his stay in the US, Siraj came in contact with Hanifa, a married woman from Mumbai, who had come on a visit there. They both fell in love and kept in touch till recently on mobile and email. They also decided to get married after Hanifa told him that she would divorce her husband.
“In February this year, Siraj came to Mumbai in the hope of getting married to Hanifa. However, he was arrested by the Dahisar police on charges of molestation following a complaint filed by Hanifa’s husband. His passport was also seized,” Jadeja said.
After getting bail in the molestation case, Siraj came to Chotila, where his father lives.
During questioning, Siraj first told the police that he had only introduced Magan Koli to some people who were making fake notes. However, investigation has revealed that Siraj himself was printing the notes in Chotila, while Magan, who had got him the printing machine, was circulating them.
Siraj had introduced Magan to his Rajkot acquaintance Abhay Shah so that the fake notes could be circulated in the city and that his name doesn’t come up if something went wrong.
The accused Siraj in Chotila police custody