Note exchange deal costs bizman ₹2 lakh; 3 booked

Ludhiana: A cycle parts manufacturer was duped of Rs 2 lakh by three unidentified accused on the pretext of exchanging old currency notes near Shivpuri on Thursday afternoon. The accused took away Rs 2 lakh in cash and handed him bundles of papers and escaped. The accused and his two accomplices were captured on a CCTV camera installed near the spot.
Mohit Mishra, 25, who owned a cycle parts manufacturing unit at Eastman chowk, claimed that about six days back, he had gone to a bank at Pratap chowk where one of the accused had met him outside the bank. The man said that he had old currency notes worth Rs 2.3 lakh and offered to exchange the notes with him. Though Mohit was initially reluctant, they still exchanged phone numbers.
Mohit said, “The accused kept calling and messaging me to exchange the currency notes. On Thursday, I could arrange Rs 2 lakh in cash and therefore decided to exchange the money with him. The accused had asked me to come near Shivpuri. The accused came there with two of his accomplices. We exchanged the money. But before I could check the currency notes properly, the accused escaped. When they left, I noticed that these notes were merely bundles of paper.”
Thereafter he informed the Daresi police. Inspector Rakesh Thakur, SHO, Daresi police station, said the police have lodged an FIR against three unidentified accused. The accused and their bike have been captured on a CCTV camera. The police are trying to trace them.