Missing driver's family allege kidnapping in 17 crore fake currency probe

A federal investigation into a ’17.3 crore counterfeit currency haul at a Punjab National Bank chest in Uttar Pradesh has taken a dramatic turn, following the disappearance of a low-paid bank driver whose family claims he was kidnapped by bank officials to silence him.

The missing 26-year-old, Adarsh Kataria, worked as a contractual driver and loader at the Saharanpur currency chest on a salary of just ’11,000 a month. Yet investigators from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) are currently probing how he came to effectively own five houses, an SUV, a sedan, and two motorcycles.

Kataria has been missing since Saturday, when he left home after telling his family he had been called to meet a senior bank official. His father, Shiv Prasad, has filed a written complaint with the police alleging his son was abducted by bank officials linked to the scam.

According to Prasad, his son had already been questioned by investigators and had cooperated by providing information. He claimed his young and inexperienced son had been used by others at the bank, who registered properties and vehicles in Kataria's name. One of the motorcycles was allegedly being used by a co-accused.

"Investigation is underway into the abduction allegations," Saharanpur Superintendent of Police Vyom Bindal said.

The asset trail

The focus on Kataria intensified after police began looking into his lifestyle. Despite his meagre salary, he allegedly hired another driver for ’500 a day to perform his driving duties for him. Police raided his home in Manakmau on Wednesday, recovering documents that are now being scrutinised to establish how the properties and vehicles were financed.

While investigators have not yet established a direct link between Kataria's assets and the counterfeit cash, they are focusing on his close relationship with the chest's suspended manager, Amit Kumar. Officially a driver and loader, Kataria allegedly spent much of his time inside the secure currency chest, functioning almost as Kumar's personal assistant.

What happens next

The NIA, which took over the case on 3 September, arrested Kumar on Monday night at his brother-in-law's house in Chandigarh. Two other suspended officials—senior divisional manager Ravi Kumar and currency chest manager Sushil Sharma—are also named in the initial police report but have not yet been arrested.

The broader investigation is trying to solve three critical questions: how ’17.29 crore in counterfeit notes entered a secure vault meant for holding Reserve Bank of India cash, where the genuine currency went if it was swapped out, and whether any fake notes have successfully entered local circulation.