The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : ‘D Company’ man supplied fake notes printed abroad

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

‘D Company’ man supplied fake notes printed abroad

K.V. Subramanya

Putter was involved in fake currency cases in Bangalore, Mangalore and Mumbai

CoD officials are investigating the Karnataka angle to the fake currency racket
Putter had supplied the fake currency notes while he was in Dubai

BANGALORE: Investigations by the Corps of Detectives (CoD) have revealed that Abdul Rashid Hussaini Putter, a Dawood Ibrahim gang member, had supplied Rs. 28 lakh fake Indian currency printed abroad to his two accomplices in Bangalore, who were earlier arrested by the sleuths of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).

Putter alias Bantwal Rashid, who was deported from Dubai in November 2006, is now in the custody of the CoD officials who are investigating the Karnataka angle to the international fake currency racket.

Involvement

Director-General of Police (CoD) Ajai Kumar Singh told The Hindu on Tuesday that Putter was involved in two fake currency cases in Bangalore and two in Mangalore, besides four other cases in Mumbai.

With regard to the Bangalore cases, it has come to light that Putter, a native of Bantwal in Dakshina Kannada district, had sent Rs. 25 lakh and Rs. 3 lakh on two occasions from Dubai to his contacts here.

A CoD team would visit Mangalore shortly to probe the two other cases, Dr. Singh said.

Putter had supplied the fake currency notes while he was in Dubai to Mohammed Haneef and Ashok Montherio, Mr. Singh said.

Seized

The DRI officials had seized the fake currency notes from Ashok Montherio, a resident of Rajajinagar, in Bangalore, when he was taking delivery of a parcel from a van belonging to a private transport company here some time ago.

A few months before Ashok was arrested, the DRI staff had seized counterfeit notes with a total face value of Rs. 24.79 lakh from Mohammad Haneef when he landed at the Bangalore Airport from Dubai.

According to police sources, the DRI probe had indicated that Ashok was supposed to take delivery of the counterfeit currency at the airport but he fled after learning that Mohammed Haneef had been arrested.

Putter is alleged to have worked with Aftab Patki for Dawood Ibrahim. Aftab Patki was said to be the brain behind the fake currency racket that frequently used the hawala channel for transfer of illegal money, the sources said.

Arrest

The Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of Mumbai had arrested Putter in New Delhi in November 2006 after he was deported from Dubai on November 18, to investigate fake currency cases registered in their city.

To probe his suspected role in the Karnataka cases, the CoD officials brought Putter from Mumbai, through a body warrant, and produced him in the First Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court here on Thursday last.

The court has remanded him in the custody of the CoD till August 22.

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