ATMs dispensing fake notes a 'serious matter': Das

There have been reports of fake notes being dispensed by ATMs of various banks, including SBI and ICICI Bank.

New Delhi, Feb 28: Fake notes being dispensed by ATMs is 'very unlikely' and the police is investigating reports of such instances, Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das said on Tuesday

"It is under police investigation. It is very unlikely that this would have happened. But if somebody is saying that it (fake notes) has come out of ATM machines, it is a very serious matter," he said.

Banks have also initiated probes, he said, adding that action would be taken against the guilty. There have been reports of fake notes being dispensed by ATMs of various banks, including SBI and ICICI Bank.

Recently, a person reportedly received Rs 2,000 notes bearing the term 'Children Bank of India' from an ATM of ICICI Bank in Rohtak (Haryana). Some notes were printed with 'Ek Kadam Swachhta ki Aur' and 'Bharatiya Manoranjan Bank' labels.

On February 25, an SBI ATM in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, purportedly dispensed a scanned copy of a Rs 2,000 note.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the scrapping of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes on November 8, 2016, with an aim to weed out black money, counterfeit currency and terror funding.

PTI