Shravasti (Uttar Pradesh): A joint team of the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) and Sonwa police busted an alleged inter-district counterfeit-currency printing gang in Shravasti district, arresting three men in a raid on the Giriraj Rice Mill at Bhitiya Chichri village on Malhipur Road on November 5, acting on a tip-off, police said in a press note.

Source: UP Police press note via MNT News

The three arrested men were identified as Girija Shankar Jaiswal and Narendra Kumar Chaurasia, both residents of Bahraich district, and Vrijendra Goswami, a resident of Ikauna in Shravasti district. Police said the men were caught red-handed allegedly printing counterfeit Indian currency notes at the rice mill. The allegations have not been tested in court.

Source: India Today

From racks and tables at the spot, police recovered the finished notes along with a Canon colour printer with cable, printer ink refills, JK Excel bond paper, a scale, cutter blades, scissors and half-finished note material and cuttings, the press note said. The operation was carried out under the supervision of Shravasti Superintendent of Police Rahul Bhati and STF Headquarters Lucknow Additional SP Amit Kumar Nagar, led on the ground by Sonwa station house officer Visundev Pandey.

A case, No. 0196/2026, has been registered at Sonwa police station under Sections 3(5), 318(2), 180, 181 and 182 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and the accused were taken into police custody under due process, the press note said. India Today reported that the accused were allegedly preparing to flood the market with fake currency during Diwali, offering Rs 3 lakh in counterfeit notes for every Rs 1 lakh in genuine currency, and that no previous criminal record had been found against Jaiswal and Chaurasia.