KANPUR, UTTAR PRADESH (NT): Prohibited currency worth crores, making up a "bed" of cash when stacked up, were found on Tuesday at a house in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur.

The police started counting the demonetized cash a little after midnight and, by this morning, had come to a figure of Rs. 97 crore with more to be counted.

After a information, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the police, along with officers of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Income Tax (I-T) department first raided a hotel in Kanpur and caught some people. Based on their questioning, the police then raided the home of one Ashok Khatri, a businessman and builder.

The cash was in Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes, which were demonetized by the government in November 2016.

The money allegedly belongs to a group of people. Ashok Khatri's business, the police suspect, was a cover for money-laundering.

"He is a businessman as a cover but is involved in these kinds of activities. He is the main passage in the exchange of money. 16 people have been in remission.We were getting information that efforts are on to stack currency and exchange it in some manner," said Anand Kumar, the acting police chief of Uttar Pradesh.(NT)