LUCKNOW: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two more key accused in connection with a conspiracy involving the circulation of counterfeit Indian currency notes through the Punjab National Bank (PNB) currency chest in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh.The arrested accused have been identified as Mukesh Kumar, son of Som Prakash, a resident of Hasanpur Kadeem village under Manoharpur police station in Saharanpur, and Rajendra Kumar, son of Pyare Lal, a resident of Kalyanpur village under Sarsawa police station in Saharanpur.According to the NIA, both accused are close associates of previously arrested key accused Adesh Choudhary and allegedly played a role in the conspiracy involving the circulation of counterfeit currency through the PNB currency chest in Civil Lines, Saharanpur. The case is being investigated by the NIA’s Lucknow branch.The case came to light on August 29, 2026, when Saharanpur police received credible information about the presence of counterfeit Indian currency notes with a face value of ₹17.29 crore at the PNB currency chest in Saharanpur.During the initial inquiry, the alleged involvement of three bank employees also surfaced. The employees were subsequently suspended by the bank.A case was initially registered as FIR No. 0431/2026 at Sadar Bazar police station in Saharanpur on August 29 under Section 178 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.The case was subsequently taken over and re-registered by the NIA on September 3, 2026.The latest arrests follow the agency’s earlier action against accused persons named in the original FIR. The NIA arrested Amit Kumar on September 7 and Adesh Choudhary on September 15 in connection with the case.The agency said Mukesh Kumar and Rajendra Kumar were closely associated with Choudhary and are being investigated for their alleged roles in the larger counterfeit currency conspiracy.The NIA is now investigating the complete conspiracy, the source and circulation network of the counterfeit currency, besides examining the alleged role of bank personnel and other suspects.The agency said further investigation is underway to identify and arrest the remaining accused and other persons suspected to be involved in the conspiracy.
