NEW DELHI, Feb 19: A 55-year-old woman has been arrested at IGI airport here for allegedly smuggling fake Indian currency of face value of Rs 4.9 lakh by concealing it in shin pads worn by her and has been sent to CBI custody by a Delhi court.
Harjeet Kaur was arrested by DRI officials from Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Aiport here on February 16 after she arrived from Bangkok by a Thai Airways International flight.
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vidya Parkash sent Kaur to CBI custody till tomorrow.
“After going through entire facts and circumstances, court is of the view that police custody remand of accused is required to unearth the entire conspiracy by sustained interrogation as well as to effect further recovery of fake Indian currency notes if possible and to apprehend other associates, if any, involved in commission of the offence,” the court said.
Kaur has been booked for criminal conspiracy and possessing fake Indian currency.
Besides her, Amrik Singh, a resident of Thailand who had allegedly handed her the fake currency to be taken to India, has also been booked in the case.
Kaur was intercepted by DRI officials at the exit gate of the customs area when she opted for clearance through green channel after depositing her custom declaration slip.
The officials recovered two bundles of fake Indian notes of 1000 denomination and six bundles of Rs 500 notes with a total face value of Rs 4,93,500.
The case was later transferred to CBI since provisions of the Indian Penal Code were invoked against her.
CBI in its remand application told the court that the bundles of fake currency were hidden on her person beneath the shin pads worn on her legs.
CBI told the court that during examination, Kaur said that for the past 20 years, she has been visiting several countries like Bangladesh, Srilanka, Maldives, Korea etc for purchasing clothes, crockery which she sells at her residence to meet her daily needs.
She had also said that she had visited Pakistan with a religious Sikh group and that for past one year, she has been regularly visiting Bangkok, Thailand from where she purchases cloths, TVs and other goods to sell in India.
CBI also told the court that Kaur disclosed that “in September 2010, her father was arrested by the Bangkok customs after recovery of 50 bottles of cough syrup from him and since then she has visited the country four to five times but due to shortage of money, could not get her father released.”
“On February 10, she was sitting outside the Indian Emporium when Amrik Singh told her to conceal fake Indian currency on her person and take it to India for which he will pay Rs 50,000,” the probe agency said.
According to DRI, Kaur had told its officials that she agreed to do so for greed of money.
On February 16, Amrik met Kaur at Bangkok airport and gave her the fake notes and also the shin pads to conceal them. Amrik has also been named in the FIR. (PTI)
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