Rs 4.58 lakh in old notes found in bags dumped in Haridwar forest

HARIDWAR: Rs 4.58 lakh in demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes were found stuffed in bags dumped at Roshnabad near Haridwar on Sunday by some village women who had gone to collect firewood in the jungle. After the women were seen distributing the notes among themselves, other villagers informed the police. Officials who have taken the notes into their custody said that they had informed income tax officials about the recovery on Sunday itself but “nobody from the IT department has come yet to enquire about the matter”.
Police is yet to make any headway about the origin of the bundle of notes, the police post in-charge for State Infrastructure and Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand Ltd (SIDCUL), Kuldeep Singh, told TOI on Monday.
There was considerable speculation about the size of the haul, with initial reports suggesting as much as Rs 25 lakh. “However, the actual amount recovered was Rs 4.58 lakh,” said Singh.
The village women first came upon the bags while collecting firewood in the forest in the afternoon and the news spread as soon as they returned to the village at about 3 pm and were seen exchanging some of the high-value currency among themselves by other villagers, who then informed the authorities. Police then moved in to seize the notes and begin inquiries.
According to SIDCUL police station in-charge Rituraj Singh, the income tax officials did not come to inquire about the matter, saying they will do so only after they receive a formal report from the police.