30 september 2024 : Actor Anupam Kher expressed shock after an Ahmedabad trader was duped with fake ₹500 notes which featured the photo of the actor instead of Mahatma Gandhi.
“My photo instead of Mahatma Gandhi’s on a ₹500 note??? Kuch bhi ho sakta hai (Anything can happen),” Anupam Kher said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The complaint was filed Mehul Thakkar, a bullion trader at the Navrangpura police station on September 24.
He claimed that one of his employee was approached by the suspects for a deal involving 2,100 grams of gold valued at ₹1.6 crore. The men delivered ₹1.3 crore in cash, promising to pay the remaining ₹30 lakh the following day. However, after handing over the gold, they vanished, leaving the trader to discover that all the notes were fake.
According to a police officer at the Navrangpura police station, Thakkar was initially contacted by Prashant Patel, a jewelry shop manager with whom he has had a long-standing business relationship. “Patel informed Thakkar that the buyer could not transfer the full amount immediately and would instead provide ₹1.3 crore in cash,” the officer said.
Ahmedabad Fraud Explained
On September 24, Joshi delivered the gold to a temporary office set up by the suspects just two days prior. After handing over 26 bundles of cash, the men asked Joshi to count the money using a machine while they stepped out to retrieve the remaining amount. It was only after the men had disappeared that Joshi realised the notes featured Anupam Kher’s likeness instead of Gandhi’s.
Police are investigating, relying on CCTV footage to track the two suspects, who remain at large.
“This is a unique case of counterfeit currency with a Bollywood twist,” said a Navrangpura police officer. “We are working to identify and apprehend the culprits.”
