Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes were demonetised in 2016.
A unique case has surfaced in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, involving a self-proclaimed occultist who asserted his ability to use a djinn's power to swap old currency for new on Dussehra. However, this bizarre scheme took an unexpected turn when a man fell into the occultist's trap and was arrested by the police while attempting to transport a large sum of demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes. The seized old currency is estimated to be valued at Rs 47 lakh.
The police initially investigated the angle that the huge amount was meant to be distributed among villages ahead of the Assembly elections. But the arrested man's confession spun a different story.
The accused, identified as Sultan Karosiya, hailing from Barokhar in Morena district, explained to the police that he had stumbled upon these demonetised notes in a garbage heap approximately 6-7 months before the demonetization policy was enforced. He clandestinely preserved this collection in his residence without disclosing it to anyone.
Sultan revealed that he had been informed by a person known to him that, on Dussehra, an occultist could invoke a djinn through a mystical ritual, and the djinn would facilitate the exchange of bundles of old notes for new currency. To facilitate this exchange, he set out with 41 bundles of Rs 1000 notes and 12 bundles of Rs 500 notes. However, his plans were foiled when the police intercepted him during a routine check. Subsequently, the police also arrested his associate, Jitendra Bhadauria, and initiated efforts to trace the occultist involved in this unusual episode.
According to Additional Superintendent of Police, Hrishikesh Meena, "The Crime Branch had received a tip-off that an individual was en route to Gwalior from Morena on a motorcycle, carrying a substantial sum of money in a black bag. In response to this information, the Crime Branch team was deployed at the place mentioned by the informant. They began stopping and searching vehicles coming and going from the area, eventually spotting the mentioned motorcycle."
"Upon interrogation, the individual identified himself as a resident of Morena, near the Polytechnic College. When questioned about the old notes found in his bag, he failed to provide a satisfactory explanation. Upon counting, the police discovered 41 bundles of old Rs 1000 notes and 12 bundles of old Rs 500 notes, totaling Rs 47 lakh in old currency," said ASP.
The Crime Branch team seized the demonetised notes and promptly informed the Election Commission and the Income Tax Department. Their ongoing investigation aims to determine whether these notes were intended for distribution among villagers.