Inspired by a 2013 Bollywood blockbuster ‘Special 26’, in which a team of tricksters pose as law enforcers and conduct raids to rob politicians and businessmen, a gang posing as income tax (I-T) officers raided a Gorakhpur-based travel agent. However, their attempt turned futile when a policeman living in the travel agent’s two-storey house got suspicious and raised an alarm.
The Gorakhpur Police has arrested three of the four fraudsters, while one managed to escape. Police have recovered a fake ID Card, a car with a Delhi registration number and bearing a board of the Income Tax Department and some documents from their possession.
“Acting on the complaint of Bhajanlal Singhadia, alias Ram Bhajan Madheshiya, we registered a case and have made three arrests. In the interrogation, the fraudsters have confessed to their involvement in other similar cases,” said Krishna Kumar Bishnoi, Superintendent of Police (SP) City, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh (UP).
THE INCIDENT
According to police, the four men raided Bhajanlal’s house in Kusumhi market area of UP’s Gorakhpur around 8am on Friday. “The four, in plain clothes, got off the car bearing the I-T department’s board and rushed towards Bhajanlal’s house,” a local trader said.
They showed their ID cards to Bhajanlal. “Similar to the movie, the men tried to build pressure on Bhajanlal. One of them tried to assemble all family members in a separate room, while the other tried to seize their mobile phones and told them not to make any calls. Another person sought records and other documents from Bhajanlal,” a local who is close to the family told News18.
“Initially, they said that a complaint was registered against me for duping people in the name of sending them abroad. On telling them that I have just Rs 5 lakh in cash, they got angry and told me to arrange for more cash and valuables,” Bhajanlal said.
THE TWIST IN THE TALE
While all this was going on, the tenant, constable Anil Gupta, reached Bhajanlal’s place. On enquiring, he got suspicious and informed the local police outpost. Soon after, the police arrived and the situation changed. Initially, they asked to settle the matter, however, later they tried to flee. “People nabbed three of the thugs,” said Pramod Kumar, inspector, AIIMS Police Station, Gorakhpur.
Bishnoi said, “Their documents and ID cards were found to be fake. The arrested accused have been identified as Delhi resident Rajesh, Bihar resident Ujendra Pandey and Noida Khoda Colony Nawajish Ali. His office is in Delhi.”
DUPED MORE THAN 24 PEOPLE
During police interrogation, the fraudsters said they were inspired by Akshay Kumar’s film ‘Special 26’. So far, they have duped more than two dozen people in different cities and states, including Bihar and UP. “Among them, Rajesh Kumar, who originally hails from Gorakhpur’s Mahadev Bazar, used to pose as an officer. Rajesh said that his brother and he used to rent a car to the Income Tax Department, Delhi, on a monthly payment basis. Due to their association with the I-T Department, the fraudsters learned the working style of the I-T officials, which they tried to replicate during their fake raids,” he added.
Police said that Bhajanlal has accused the fourth fraudster of robbing him of Rs 96,000 in cash.