Information regarding fake currency notes by NCRB

Background

The appellant had sought information on some queries pertaining to fake currency notes. The Public Information Officer (PIO) informed that the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) only maintains the data of Counterfeit currencies received from Reserve Bank of India for fake currencies recovered by banks and also from State Crime Record Bureaus of States and UTs for fake currencies seized by State/UT Police. As NCRB has no other role in the matters of investigation of FICN and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been designated as the Ministry of Home Affairs as the nodal agency for coordinating efforts to contain FICN circulation, the PIO requested the appellant to contact the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for further queries on fake currencies.

Proceedings

The appellant had sought to know whether the Punjab National Bank (PNB) had informed the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) of the instances of counterfeit currency notes detected and impounded from 2006 to 2009. The PIO had replied that information on counterfeit currencies is received from RBI and that the entries are made in the data base of the Bureau only on the basis of data received from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

The appellant argued that as per RBI Circular No. RBI/2005-06/173 dated 30.9.2005, all banks have been directed to submit their report regarding counterfeit currency directly to the MHA on the 7th of the next month. The respondent informed that vide letter dated 19.2.2004, they had requested the RBI to consolidate all the data pertaining to recovery of counterfeit currency notes received from all the banks and to compile the information and submit to the NCRB directly. The Bureau had also intimated the RBI that they will not entertain the data on forged notes received from any other Bank than RBI.

View of CIC

The Central Information Commission (CIC) took note of the fact that the entire issue seems to be regarding the system of seeking data by NCRB regarding counterfeit currencies recovered by Banks. The CIC directed the PIO to clarify the apparent contradiction in the directions of the RBI and of the NCRB in the matter and also to clarify whether intimation regarding detection of counterfeit currencies by the PNB during the period 2006-2009 has been intimated to the NCRB directly.

Citation: Mr. Ganga Singh Rawat v. Ministry of Home Affairs, National Crime Records Bureau, in Case No. CIC/SS/C/2012/000261