Did govt use radioactive ink in Rs 2000 notes to trace location of black money?

NEW DELHI: After the Income Tax department conducted many successful raids against black money hoarders in several parts of the country post demonetisation, the latest rumour doing the rounds on social media is 'entrusting' the credit for seizures by the I-T sleuths to the presence of radioactive ink in the new currency notes of Rs 2000 denomination.

According to message that went viral on social media, a radioactive isotope of phosphorous- P32 is used in the new Rs 2,000 currency notes to help I-T department detect illegal wealth.



"Whenever a huge lot of cash is amassed at a suspected place, the radioactive indicator present in currency notes help I-T sleuths to trace the location," the message claims.

The rumour is being considered true because of recently conducted raids by the Income Tax department across the country.

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In a startling catch, the Income Tax department last week seized Rs 5.7 crore cash in new notes, 32 kgs of gold biscuits and jewellery and Rs 90 lakh worth old notes stashed inside the bathroom tiles of a hawala dealer in Karnataka.

Based on such IT raids people are considering the 'radioactive' roumour to be true.



ABP News, in its Viral Sach segment, contacted nuclear scientist Dr. SB Lochab to know whether radioactive ink can be utilised as a trace element in currency notes or not.



"If any radioactive component is added into ink, it becomes radioactive ink. Radioactive trace elements, which would be in micrograms, are difficult to trace even with sensitive instruments," Dr. Lochab said.

"Our body also contains trace elements in radioactive form but those elements cannot be detected with any external instrument. Even if we assume Radioactive ink in the new currency notes is used as a trace element, it's impossible to detect it with sensor or any other external instrument," the nuclear scientist said.