Counterfeit currency notes of Rs 37 lakh were found in a tenant’s room at Chaitanyeshwar Nagar in Kharbi under the jurisdiction of Wathoda Police Station, on Saturday. The police suspect that the tenant was printing counterfeit notes in the room. He was not present when the room was searched. The accused has been identified as Pushpam Krishna Bandane (30), a native of Trimurti Nagar, Nagpur. According to the police, Bandane had been living as a tenant at the house of Ramesh Gangadhar Harde (55), a resident of Plot No. 18, Chaitanyeshwar Nagar, Kharbi, for around one-and-a-half years. His rent agreement expired in January. He had also allegedly failed to pay rent for several months and had not returned to the house for several days.

 

Harde reportedly confronted him over the unpaid rent. However, Bandane allegedly threatened him with a weapon. Harde had earlier approached Wathoda Police, who registered a non-cognisable offence in the matter. As Bandane remained absent for several days, Harde broke the lock on the room on Saturday and entered it. He found bundles of paper resembling currency notes and a printer inside. He alerted the police, following which a team led by Police Inspector Pramod Pore reached the spot. During the search, the police found bundles of suspected counterfeit notes kept in a bucket. Printing material also was found nearby. The counterfeit notes were in denominations of Rs 500 and had been printed on both sides. The police have registered a case and launched an investigation to determine the source of the printing material and whether the counterfeit notes were circulated in the market. The police have launched searches for Pushpam Bandane.