Ahmedabad, Oct 11 (IANS) The Ahmedabad City Crime Branch has arrested a Punjab resident accused of posing as a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to gain people’s trust and allegedly cheat them of money by promising discounted goods and airport jobs.
The accused, identified as Azma A Sikandar Mohammad Akhtar Kamboj, a resident of Jamalpura in Malerkotla city of Punjab, was apprehended on October 10 near the entrance to Palika Bazaar, behind Sardar Baug in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
According to the Crime Branch, he was wearing a force T-shirt and posing as a CISF DSP-rank officer when he was found in possession of a forged identity card identifying him as a “DSP in the CISF Department, Government of India”.
A case has been registered at Karanj police station under Section 204 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, which deals with impersonating a public servant.
During questioning, the accused reportedly stated that he had worked as a casual labourer, mechanic and in other occupations after completing his studies in Malerkotla.
He allegedly collected money from people by promising to arrange walnuts and kerosene from Kashmir at low prices, discounted goods from army canteens, iPhones and other items.
The Crime Branch said the accused had admitted in his statement that he failed to supply the promised goods to some people and spent the money on his personal indulgences.
He allegedly received payments in cash and through online bank transfers. Investigators also found that bank accounts belonging to other individuals, a travel agency and a petrol pump had allegedly been used to receive money.
The accounts, transactions and possible involvement of other people are being examined.
The accused allegedly used the forged CISF identity card to claim that he was employed at an airport and to collect money on the pretext of securing airport jobs, arranging cheaper iPhones from Dubai and procuring discounted army canteen goods.
The police said the allegations and related complaints were being independently verified.
The Crime Branch also found that the accused was wanted in a 2022 cheating and theft case registered at Mazgaon police station in Jammu and Kashmir under Sections 420, 380 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code.
The case is associated with Case No. 08/2022 at the Mazgaon court. Police have seized the fake identity card, a PAN card, an Aadhaar card (details withheld), Rs 1,120 in cash and a mobile phone valued at Rs 10,000.
The total value of the seized items is Rs 11,120.
Further investigation is underway to establish the number of people allegedly cheated, trace the financial transactions and determine whether complaints or cases have been registered against the accused in other states.
–IANS
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