Gurgaon: At an annual package of Rs 42 lakh, Vinayak Jha did not need to print notes to become rich. But the software engineer with a multinational company in Noida was not chasing wealth — he was chasing a different kind of currency, followers.Arrested last week for allegedly running a counterfeit currency printing setup from a hotel room in Faridabad, Jha has told police his actions were driven by an obsession with social media virality. During questioning, the 28-year-old said he wanted to replicate the success of a US-based friend whose Reels, often featuring huge bundles of cash, routinely drew millions of views and likes.That digital glamour stayed with him.Jha told police he had been following the friend’s account for months and was struck by how stacks of money had become a visual shorthand for influence. Unable to use real cash in such quantities, he allegedly chose to manufacture the illusion instead.He designed a carefully researched plan.Police said Jha spent weeks studying online how Indian currency paper looked, felt and behaved under light. He searched extensively for material that could mimic the texture of genuine notes before allegedly buying specialised paper from a shop in Delhi’s Sadar Bazaar. Police are now likely to question the shop owner to establish what exactly was sold to him.“He earned well and came from an educated family. There was no financial distress. But he used his skill and time in the wrong direction,” a police officer said.The case surfaced unexpectedly on June 26, when Jha checked into a hotel in Surajkund and then left the room locked for two days, taking the key with him. The prolonged silence raised suspicion among hotel staff, who alerted police.When cops opened Room 404-B, they found a miniature counterfeit unit — a laptop, printer, special paper, one fake Rs 500 note, ten fake Rs 100 notes, and other printing material.Using the identity documents he submitted at check-in, police traced Jha to his Sector 17 house in Faridabad and detained him. Sources in police said there is no indication yet that the counterfeit notes were circulated in the market.A case was registered against Jha under sections 178 and 181 of BNS, which deal with possession and use of forged currency notes. Police are now examining his laptop, printer and online activity to establish whether he printed more notes, created any content with them, or had help in setting up the operation.
