Fake: Counterfeit currency from Gujarat temple was not seized during lockdown

New Delhi, May 07: A post on the social media claiming that fake notes were seized from a temple in Gujarat during the lockdown has gone viral.

The post in Hindi says that on one hand the entire country is fighting coronavirus and on the other hand, a temple in Gujarat is manufacturing fake notes by taking full advantage of the lockdown.

The user cites a news report by news channel Zee Bihar Jharkhand, which says that fake notes were being printed in the under construction Swaminarayan temple in Surat, Gujarat.

Five including a priest were arrested for manufacturing and circulating the notes. However the news report says nothing about the coronavirus or lockdown.

This incident in fact took place in November 2019. It was also reported by TV 9 Gujarati on November 24, 2019. The report said that fake notes worth Rs 1 crore was confiscated and five persons including a priest were arrested by the crime branch of the Gujarat police.