Children Bank of India' on 2k notes: SBI examining ATMs, suspects foul play
New Delhi: The State Bank of India said on Wednesday it is examining all currency notes at automated teller machines (ATMs) after media reports cited fake 2,000 rupee notes being dispensed by one of its ATMs in New Delhi.
SBI accounts for more than a fifth of India's banking assets.
The bank, in a statement, said it suspected foul play and investigations were underway.
A customer care executive claimed he had been taken for a ride after the automatic teller machine run by the government-owned State Bank of India spilled out the fake bills on February 6.
Instead of the logo of India's central bank, the bills were marked 'Children Bank of India' and on the other side with a cheeky 'Entertainment Bank of India'.
"The case is under investigation. We have seized the notes and informed the bank about the incident," investigating officer Upender Singh told AFP.
The dummy pink notes looked very similar to the newly minted 2,000-rupee notes introduced in November after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to ban all 500 and 1,000-rupee notes.
A police officer sent to the spot to verify the claims also received a fake 2,000-rupee note when he withdrew money from the ATM, Singh said.
"We are trying to find how these notes found their way into the system. The bank has also launched an internal investigation."
The fake bills matched the colour and font of the real notes but read 'Guaranteed by the Children's Government' instead of 'Guaranteed by the Central Government'.
The bills also showcased images of independence hero Mahatma Gandhi similar to the original notes but bore a 'PK' logo instead of the bank seal.
"I promise to pay the barer two thousand coupens," read the mis-spelt message on the note instead of the statutory pledge of the central bank.
A case of manufacturing documents resembling currency notes, using forged or counterfeit notes and of cheating had been registered at Sangam Vihar police station under IPC sections 489-b, 489-e and 420.
