Six arrested exchanging old 2000-rupee-notes in Karimganj, Private Bank’s employees also involved

In a significant operation, the Ratabari Police have arrested six individuals with cash amounting to fifty lakh rupees. The group included Jesaraj Deka, the manager of Canara Bank’s Hailakandi branch, and Chinlal Maun, a loan officer from the same bank. Others apprehended were Rakibul Hasan from Barpeta, Deep Jyoti Bezbaruah from Nalbari, Anwar Hussain Laskar, and Mohammad Shariful Alam from Hailakandi.

The operation unfolded last night when the group arrived at Ratabari market in a Bolero and a WagonR vehicle, intending to exchange old 2000-rupee notes for new 500-rupee notes. Acting on a tip-off, the police conducted a raid, seizing fifty lakh rupees in 500-rupee notes.

Pratap Das, the officer in charge of the operation from Ratabari Police Station, detailed the events saying, “Yesterday we received information that individuals from neighbouring districts had come to Karimganj’s Ratabari to exchange old 2000-rupee notes for new 500-rupee notes. The bank manager had charged a 25% commission to facilitate this exchange. We managed to trap them during the process at the Ratabari market area and seized 500-rupee notes worth fifty lakh from the team.”

The police have registered a suo motu case to further investigate the matter and trace the money trail. The 2000 rupee notes were withdrawn from circulation last year by the Reserve Bank of India.