Bhubaneswar: A man has been arrested in Bhubaneswar for allegedly impersonating a senior Odisha government officer and cheating people by conducting illegal and fake search operations.
According to sources, the man was posing as a ‘Secretariat Inquiry Officer’ to indulge in fraudulent activities. Identified as Ashish Kumar Samal, he allegedly used a fake identity to extort money, conduct unauthorised raids, and blackmail people in different places, including Puri and Konark.
Police said Ashish identified himself as a high-ranking Secretariat official and claimed to be an Inquiry Officer. Using this false identity, he allegedly carried out fake inspection raids at various locations and intimidated people and business owners in the Puri and Konark areas.
The accused had also hired a luxury vehicle from a travel agency around 15 days ago and had been absconding without returning it. To gain the trust of the travel agency, he allegedly deposited a forged government identity card bearing his own name as proof of identity.
Police said Ashish frequently rented expensive vehicles by claiming to be a senior government officer and enjoyed VIP treatment. However, after accumulating a rental bill exceeding Res 1.5 lakh, he allegedly disappeared without making any payment.
Acting on a complaint lodged by the travel agency, Nayapalli Police launched an investigation and tracked down the accused. The accused later arrested on charges of impersonation and cheating.
Further investigation is in progress to ascertain whether he was involved in similar frauds elsewhere.
