3 held, over 300 notes seized: How twin cinematographers busted fake currency ring

4 min readUpdated: Jul 6, 2026 07:35 PM IST

Siddharam and Shiva Bidankar, the Pune-based twin cinematographers whose quick thinking led to the bust of a fake currency ring. (Express Photo)

On the afternoon of June 19, a 25-year-old Siddharam, alias Arjun Bidankar, and his twin brother Shiva, caught two local businessmen for allegedly circulating fake Indian currency notes (FICN) near Ruby Hall Clinic in Pune city.

After receiving information from the Bidankar brothers, police nabbed the two suspects and launched a probe into the FICN racket. Police arrested three persons and seized about 315 FICN notes of Rs 500 denomination.

Siddharam had lodged the first information report (FIR) at the Koregaon Park police station on June 20.

Siddharam and Shiva are cinematographers, residing at Mahatma Phule Vasahat, a slum along Tadiwala Road in Pune’s Bundgarden area.

They have been running ABJB Films and Photography studio with their friend Joseph Bhosale at a rented shop in Kumar Pinnacle on Tadiwala Road for the last few years. Their mother runs the Malhar Tea Shop near the exit gate of Ruby Hall Clinic.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Siddharam said that around 3 pm on June 19, two men on a two-wheeler came to the tea shop.

“One of them purchased a cigarette pack for Rs 250 at our tea stall and gave a Rs 500 note to my mother. He took the change and left. My mother gave me the same note and asked me to buy some tea powder, but I felt the note was lighter and the colour shades on it were different from a real Rs 500 note… I told my brother Shiva. He compared it with a real note, and we saw that the paper quality of the two notes were different. We immediately started searching for the two men who gave the fake note,” he said.

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Siddharam and Shiva saw that the two suspects were again buying cigarettes from a nearby shop with a fake Rs 500 note. The twins caught the suspects and called the police control room number 112.

Within minutes, a police team reached the spot and took the suspects into custody. They were identified as Omprakash Mahavir Agarwal (32) of Tingre Nagar in Vishrantwadi and Mausam Narendra Mishra (36) of Lohegaon.

They were booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 179 (trafficking or circulation of forged or counterfeit currency notes, 180 (possession of forged or counterfeit currency notes), 318 (4) (cheating), 3(5).

Initially, six FICN were seized from the accused. During the investigation, police arrested one more suspect, Rishikesh Ware (31) of Bhosari.

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“Previously, we seized about 130 FICN from accused Mishra. Further, 183 FICN were seized from his aide, Ware. All FICN are of the denomination 500. Attempts are on to find out where the FICN were prepared, what equipment was used for it and how long this counterfeit currency racket is operating,” said senior police inspector Vijaykumar Doke of Koregaon Park police station.

“Accused Agarwal claims to be a businessman, Mishra is known to be a cloth trader, and Ware is a real estate agent,” said Doke.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Sangeeta Shinde Alphonso said the arrested accused were in jail and further investigation was underway to determine if more persons were involved.

From graphic design to catching counterfeiters

Shiva Bidankar said, “My brother and I completed HSC but left studies in the second year of B.Com.”

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“We were initially into graphic design. Later, we learnt videography through YouTube videos. As our interest grew, we became cinematographers and started our own studio. We work for several rappers and hip-hop singers. We also do wedding shoots,” said Siddharam.

The twins said their mother could not realise that the suspects gave her a fake currency note at the tea shop.

“Luckily, she gave the fake note to me to get tea powder. I found it suspicious, and then my brother and I nabbed the suspects, believing they may have cheated many people by circulating fake currency. We appreciate the police action and hope the accused are punished as per the law…,” he said.

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Chandan Haygunde is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With over 20 years of experience in journalism, he is one of the region's most authoritative voices on crime, national security, and legal affairs.

Professional Profile

Specialization:

He specialises covering issues related to Crime, Courts, National Security and Human Rights. He has done investigative reporting on incidents of terrorism, left wing extremism, espionage cases, wildlife crimes, narcotics racket, cyber crimes and sensational murder cases in Pune and other parts of Maharashtra. While working on the ‘Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Fellowship on Tigers, Tiger Habitats and Conservation’ in 2012, he reported extensively on the illegal activities in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. He is at the helm of the widely read weekly series “Pune Crime Files”. He is widely recognized for his deep-dive coverage of the cases related to the Koregaon Bhima violence in Pune and the Elgaar Parishad investigation.

Key Beats:

His portfolio includes covering crimes mainly under the jurisdiction of Pune City, Pune rural and Pimpri Chinchwad Police, along with the sensitive cases from the state, being investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Background:

Before his long tenure at The Indian Express, he worked with other Marathi and English publications, giving him a unique grassroots understanding of Maharashtra's socio-political landscape.

Awards and Recognition:

He got the CMS PANOS Young Environment Journalist Award in January 2014 for investigative reports on illegal activities in Sahyadri Tiger Rerserve.

He received the award for outstanding investigative journalism by the Lokmat group in Pune in January 2020, “Missing since 2010, Pune youth a ‘Maoist Commander’ in Chhattisgarh”, which appeared on July 9, 2019.

Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)

In recent months, Chandan’s reporting has focused on high-profile terror case investigations, inter-state firearms racket, leopard movements in Pune city, cyber scams and hearings of the Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry.

1. High-Profile crimes and terrorism cases

“Techie linked to Al-Qaeda preached democracy is against Shariat” (Nov 17, 2025).

Reporting on the ongoing investigation into the arrest of IT professional Zubair Hangargekar (37) from Pune for alleged terror links.

“The case against Jyoti Jagtap, member of ‘Maoist front’ Kabir Kala Manch and Elgaar Parishad organiser, granted interim bail by apex court” (Nov 20, 2025)

Tracking the updates in the high profile Elgaar Parishad case related to the alleged naxal activities in urban areas.

“How NIA arrested doctor turned ‘ISIS recruiter’ in Maharashtra terror module case” (Nov 24, 2025)

After the arrest of doctors in Delhi Red Fort blast, a report on alleged terror links of a consulting anaesthetist from a Pune hospital.

“A year after loco pilot averts tragedy by spotting gas cylinder on railway track, probe still inconclusive” (Dec 8, 2025).

Report on the unsolved case of a suspected sabotage incident, which could have derailed a train.

“No records of Sambhaji Maharaj’s cremation available: Author, ex-IAS officer Vishwas Patil tells Koregaon Bhima panel” (Dec 1, 2025)

Reporting on a sensitive issue related to the Koregaon Bhima violence.

2. Inter-state firearms racket

"Pune police swoop down on ‘village of pistols’ in Madhya Pradesh; 36 detained, 50 kilns destroyed" (Nov 22, 2025)

"Recce a week before, microplanning: how Pune police raided ‘village of pistols’ in MP" (Nov 24, 2025)

Reporting on the illegal gun manufacturing units in Umarti village, Madhya Pradesh

3. Cybercrime & Financial Scams

“Pimpri Chinchwad police arrest ‘bank account supplier’ with links to China, nationwide cyber scams" (Nov 27, 2025)

An investigative look at the modus opernadi of international cyber-gangs cheating high-earning professionals across the country

‘Your case linked to Pahalgam terrorist’: Pune businessman loses Rs 1.44 crore to fraudster posing as NIA chief" (Oct 18, 2025)

Report on the tricks played on cyber scammers cheating people through digital arrest frauds

Signature Style: The Investigative Hit

Chandan is known for his ability to cultivate deep-cover sources within the police and intelligence agencies. His writing often goes beyond the "police version" of events, providing historical context and identifying systemic lapses. He is particularly respected for his balanced reporting on sensitive communal issues and his persistent tracking of the Maoist urban-link cases, making his columns essential reading for legal experts and policymakers.

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