Three held for melting coins

Indian police arrested three people in Calcutta and seized 403lbs of coins after the central bank asked police to investigate an unusual coin shortage in the city, officials said today.

Police officers raided a small business in the Girish Park neighbourhood on Friday after receiving a tip that a gang was melting coins there to make into shaving blades and metal statues, local police chief Balai Kumar Sanpui said. The metal value of the coins is higher than their face value.