Balasore: Simulia police have arrested Birachnipur resident Bishnu Nayak, 65, after he had deposited 22 counterfeit notes of Rs 2,000 denomination at a cooperative bank. The police have also arrested another person is connection with the counterfeit notes.

Inspector in-charge of Simulia police station Sanjay Kumar Parida said: "A case has been registered under sections 489(b)(c) and 420 of the IPC for possessing counterfeit notes and intending to use them as genuine and for cheating and dishonesty."

"The other person, who has been detained, is being interrogated. The accused claimed that he had brought these notes from him two months ago," he said.

Police sources said Nayak, a paddy trader, had deposited Rs 1.5 lakh in cash using 75 Rs 2,000 notes in his wife's account with the local Khirokona cooperative bank. During scrutiny, the bank found 22 of the notes were fake. He immediately informed the local police station. The police seized the notes and took Nayak into custody. Nayak said that he had given money to the detained person, who had returned the amount in Rs 2,000 notes about 2 months ago.