Cash returned by youths found to be fake

KOLKATA - Six months after being rewarded by West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee for returning cash worth Rs.1.5 lakh, two youths of Birbhum district will now face police interrogation as the notes were found to be fake.

Selim Khan and Salam Seikh Lal, while rescuing the victims of the July 19 Sainthia train accident, submitted three bundles of notes of Rs.500 denomination amounting to Rs.1.5 lakh to the police, saying they had stumbled upon the money.

The youths, belonging to less affluent backgrounds, were sanctioned special loans by the chief minister to help them become self-dependent.

However, in a dramatic twist, officials of a nationalised bank found the money was fake after it was taken to a branch for depositing in the government treasury.

“As the money remained unclaimed for last six months, the local court ordered that the money be deposited in the government treasury. And the bank officials found that the notes were fake,” said Superintendent of Railway Police (Howrah division) Rabindranath Mukherjee.

The youths submitted the money to the Sainthia police station and later it was handed over to the railway police as the accident had occurred on railway land.

“After the notes were found fake, a probe has been initiated to ascertain details about the fake notes and to find out whether there was a fake Indian currency racket operating on that railway route,” he said.

“As part of the investigation, the youths will be interrogated as well,” he added.

The Sealdah-bound Uttar Banga Express rammed into the stationary Vananchal Express at Sainthia station in Birbhum district, killing 63 people and leaving many injured.