Nagpur: Crime branch has seized demonetized currency worth Rs 97,50,000 from Rana apartment at Mankapur on Chhindwara road on Tuesday. Police said that around Rs 2.50 crores were to be accumulated at the place for conversion to new currencies. Prasanna Pardhi, a builder and beer bar owner, has been arrested from the place whereas another identified as Kumar Chhugani sneaked away.
Kumar Chugani was acting as middle-man to exchange the currency notes. After demonetisation, Chugani, who is into cloth business and has a shop in Sadar area, floated the business of exchanging notes since last six months.He was exchanging the notes by charging as much as 75% commission.
Police said Pardhi had brought cash around Rs 48,000 for conversion after being offered by Chugani to convert it at 75% brokerage. Chugani had claimed to have links with some banks through which the conversion would be possible.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Somnath Waghchoure informed that the accused – Prasanna Manohar
Pardhi (40), a resident of New Ramdaspeth, along with three others including one Kumar Chugani (44), a resident of Khare town, a Doctor from Wardha and one unidentified person were present in the Flat No. 301 of Rana Apartment near Wox Cooler factory shop in Mankapur area in the evening hours of Tuesday.
The police had a tip off about a deal to exchange demonetised currency at Rana Apartment. The accused were under impression that the exchange was supposedly being facilitated by an official of Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Acting on the tip-off, a Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) Datta Pedkar went to the apartment at 5.30 pmwhere he met a person standing inthe parking slot.The PSI introduced himself as RBI officer to gain entry in the flat. After entering the flat, the accused gave the cash to the officer assuming that he was a RBI officer. The accused reportedly told the officer that they would give him more cash to exchange, if this deal was successful. After getting the cash, the police officer revealed his real identify as a police officer after which the four persons overpowered Pedkar. Pardhi caught hold of PSI Pedkar while other three fled the spot by locking flat’s door from outside.
Pedkar signaled the police team which was waiting in nearby locality.The team entered the flat and caught Pardhi. Meanwhile, remaining accused managed to flee the spot. ACP Waghchoure said that the accused could have stored the cash in a car which was parked in the parking slot. “We will book the accused under Sections 420, 342, 353 of Indian Penal Code and arrest remaining accused soon,” he stated.
Pardhi who was arrested by the police runs four beer-bars in the city including one at Sitabuldi area and also runs a construction firm — M/s Kamal Construction. Under the guidance of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Crime Sambhaji Kadam, ACP Waghchoure, the arrest was made by API Sachin Lule Patil, PSI Datta Pedkar and staff including Battulal Pandey, Sayyad Wahid, Mahesh Kursunge and Baljit Thakur.
