IN A plot twist that could be the envy of even Bollywood, a bullion trader in Ahmedabad was duped of 2.1 kg of gold after unidentified con men handed over counterfeit currency featuring the face of noted actor Anupam Kher.
The transaction at the end left a local bullion trader, Mehul Thakkar, high and dry.
Thakkar filed a complaint with the Navrangpura police station in Ahmedabad, detailing how he was tricked into accepting 26 bundles of counterfeit notes of ₹500 face value.
The fake currency, which hilariously bore the misspelled label "Resole Bank of India," was presented to his staff in exchange for 2.1 kg of gold on September 24.
The saga began when Thakkar, a gold dealer with a penchant for shiny things, received a call from Prashant Patel, the manager of a jewellery shop whom the bullion trader knew.
Patel was eager to buy 2.1 kg of gold, and after some haggling, they settled on a price of ₹16 million (£142,478.85).
Little did Thakkar know, he was about to become the star of a real-life comedy.
On September 24, Thakkar instructed his staff to meet Patel at an 'angadia pedhi' (Hawala) office – a traditional money-moving service.
When they arrived, they were greeted not by the glamorous world of gold trade but by three "gentlemen" who handed over bundles of what they claimed were ₹500 notes.
The unsuspecting staff was told to count the 'money' using a machine provided by the trio.
Two of them then went out with the gold biscuits on the pretext of fetching the remaining Rs 30 lakh from a neighbouring office, while a third one stayed on.
When the staff sent by Thakkar noticed the currency notes were fake after taking them out from plastic wrap for counting, they questioned the third person, who told them he was there just to deliver the counting machine for 'angadia pedhi', the complainant told the police.
It also later came to light that the angadia office was opened by the accused persons two days before the incident, as per the complaint.
An FIR has since been filed against the two unidentified suspects, and police have launched an investigation to track down the culprits behind this unusual con.
Kher surprised, amused
Meanwhile Anupam Kher expressed surprise and amusement after learning the incident of counterfeit currency notes with his face.
He shared one of the videos of the incident on the social media and remarked, "Anything can happen". (Agencies)
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