Yogesh K Porwar
The Banashankari Police Station have arrested two housekeeping staff for allegedly impersonating Central Government officials and extorting Rs.5 lakh from a gutka businessman,officials said on Wednesday.
The arrested accused have been identified as Nagaraju P (37)and Dadapeer Ballari (35).
The duo were working as outsourced housekeeping staff at the Office of the Principal Commissioner of Central Tax in Bengaluru.
According to police,acting on specific inputs,vigilance officers of the department conducted a search around 11.30 am on February 17 in the rooms where the duo were staying within the office premises.
During the search,officials recovered Rs.1 lakh in cash from Ballari and Rs.1.50 lakh from Nagaraju.
Further searches led to the seizure of three fake identity cards bearing the name“Government of India,Ministry of Finance,Department of Revenue,Office of the Principal Commissioner of Central Tax (GST),Bengaluru West Commissionerate.”
The forged ID cards carried the designations “Intelligence Officer”and“Sepoy.”
Officials also recovered copies of six fake search warrants from their possession.
During detailed interrogation,the accused reportedly confessed that on January 10, they posed as officials from the GST office and extorted Rs.5 lakh from a gutkha businessman in Peenya by threatening action.
Following the investigation,police formally arrested the duo.After being questioned for six days in police custody, they were produced before a Bengaluru court, which remanded them to judicial custody.Further investigation is underway said Lokesh B Jagalsar DCP South Division.
