Inspired by web series ‘Farzi, 22-year-old student operates fake currency racket from rented room in Ghaziabad
The Delhi Police recently busted the racket, arresting mastermind Anurag Sharma and his three associates - Vikash Bhardwaj (42), Satyam Singh (19) and Sachin (24) - in a week-long operation.
DCP Valsan said, “Investigation is ongoing, with police working to uncover more about Anurag’s supply networks and potential connections to other counterfeiting gangs.”
Taken in by popular crime thriller Farzi, a 22-year-old college student from Ghaziabad allegedly started his own counterfeit money operation, from his rented flat in Khoda Colony, to solve his financial woes.
The Delhi Police recently busted the racket, arresting mastermind Anurag Sharma and his three associates – Vikash Bhardwaj (42), Satyam Singh (19) and Sachin (24) – in a week-long operation.
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DCP (Outer North Delhi) Nidhin Valsan Tuesday said 919 Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICNs) of the denomination of Rs 500 and 621 A4 size sheets of fake Rs 500 notes printed on them — a total face value of Rs 17.01 lakh — were seized, along with a stamp of Gandhi for making watermarks.
The raiding team led by Inspector Pawan Yadav, under the supervision of ACP Yash Pal Singh, also recovered a laptop, a colour printer, two laminators, a paper-cutting machine, 9 bundles of A4 size papers, one paper pressing machine, and other equipment used for the illegal operation.
Inside Sharma’s room, police found a trove of counterfeit currency material. A police source said Anurag, who had allegedly supplied fake currency of face value of Rs 80 lakh to Vikash alone, had allegedly been printing notes for the past six months in his flat.
The police source claimed the accused has purportedly circulated fake currency amounting to crores by mixing them with real notes across multiple states, including Delhi, UP, Rajasthan, and Haryana.
During preliminary investigation, police learnt that the landlord, a lawyer, who had rented the flat to Anurag seeing his student background, was unaware of the illicit operations of his tenant, the source claimed.
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According to police, Anurag, who hails from Mirganj in UP’s Bareilly, was inspired by the Farzi web series, which tells the story of an artist-turned-counterfeiter. In the show, the protagonist Sunny, played by Shahid Kapoor, is a young artist who creates fake money to combat his financial struggles.
The DCP said the breakthrough came on November 14, when acting on a tip-off, the Special Staff arrested Vikash while recovering a bag containing counterfeit notes of face value of Rs 3.39 lakh near the SDM office in Naya Bans village.
“The other two, Satyam and Sachin, hailing from Gonda in Uttar Pradesh, were arrested the next day. The investigation subsequently led to the arrest of Sharma from his rented flat on November 18,” the officer said.
DCP Valsan said, “Investigation is ongoing, with police working to uncover more about Anurag’s supply networks and potential connections to other counterfeiting gangs.”
Himanshu Harsh is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, currently leading on-the-ground coverage in Bihar. With a reporting career rooted in the complexities of the National Capital Region (NCR), Himanshu specializes in the critical intersection of law, crime, and civic governance.
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An alumnus of the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi, Himanshu brings a rigorous academic foundation to his investigative work. His expertise is characterized by a "ground-up" reporting style, most notably demonstrated during his extensive coverage of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where he analyzed shifting political landscapes and grassroots sentiment.
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