Gujarat Trader Scammed of ₹1.3 Cr with Fake Anupam Kher Notes

A bullion trader in Ahmedabad, Mehul Thakkar, was scammed of ₹1.3 crore when fraudsters used fake currency notes featuring Bollywood actor Anupam Kher’s image. Thakkar, a gold and silver trader, received a call on September 23 from the manager of Laxmi Jewellers, someone he had known for over 15 years. The manager inquired about the price of over 2 kg of gold for a third party.

Confident in the long-standing business relationship, Thakkar agreed to a deal worth ₹1.6 crore. On the following day, September 24, the manager informed him that the buyer needed the gold urgently. Due to a technical issue with RTGS (Real Time Gross Settlement), the buyer would provide a cash security deposit and transfer the remaining amount later.

The gold exchange was arranged at an Angadia firm in the Navrangpura area. Thakkar sent one of his employees to deliver the gold. At the location, three individuals were present, one using a currency counting machine. After the gold was handed over, Thakkar’s employee inspected the ₹1.3 crore security deposit and realized the notes were fake. Instead of Mahatma Gandhi’s image, the notes bore a picture of actor Anupam Kher and had a stamp of the “Star Bank of India” instead of the State Bank of India (SBI).

Realizing the scam, Thakkar and the manager of Laxmi Jewellers rushed to the scene, only to find that the so-called Angadia firm had been set up just two days earlier. When they tried to contact the individual who had posed as a buyer on behalf of Laxmi Jewellers, his phone was switched off. Following this, Mehul Thakkar filed a police complaint.

The police have now begun investigating the case, reviewing CCTV footage from the area, and working to identify the fraudsters. Bollywood actor Anupam Kher also reacted to the incident, tweeting, “My photo on ₹500 notes instead of Gandhiji’s? Anything can happen (sic).”