Fake I-T officer arrested in Howrah

KOLKATA: A youth was arrested on Sunday for allegedly posing as an income tax (I-T) officer and trying to cheat several shop owners on Lord Sinha Road.
Omkar Dixit, 29, from Baikuntha Chatterjee Lane in Howrah, showed up at a couple of shops and demanded to check their papers related to tax returns. His plan, according to police, was to demand money from the shopowners claiming the papers were not in order.Dixit’s plan, however, fell through and he was caught in the act in half an hour by a senior employee of a reputable jewellery store.
Dixit was suave and arrogant and appeared an I-T officer. “He had first targeted a neighbouring fruits shop. He walked in there wearing the confidence of an experienced I-T officer and asked the employees to show the relevant papers. He claimed he was following the instructions of the Election Commission. He even rebuked a few staffers for their delay in answering him. However, when some of them asked him why he was raiding their place alone and asked him to show his ID card, he said he lied and left the shop,” a witness said.
Dixit was caught by the employee who was in charge of the M B Jewellers outlet on Lord Sinha Road.
“I have been on duty here for the past 34 years. It was one or two of his statements that appeared out of place. I am happy I acted on time and did not believe his tricks,” said a satisfied Kishan Derasari. The shop in-charge intimated the rest of the staff present at the showroom about the cheat and called up the police. Cops however, said that an ACP present at the showroom was the first to tip-off Derasari about the fraudster.
“Dixit looked peeved when he walked in. But, he regained composure when I asked him what all he wanted to buy from the shop. He told me that he had the powers to buy everything that our shop can offer. He insisted that our papers were not in order even though he accepted that we are one of the biggest jewellery shops in this area. It was then that I had the inkling that something was not right and alerted my staff and the police. I asked my staff to keep a watch on him. By then, some of the employees of the fruits shop informed me about Dixit’s previous visit to their shop. No sooner did the police come than he was arrested,” Derasari added.
Dixit was arrested from the jewellery store by the Shakespeare Sarani police. “He had planned to threaten and intimidate the owners of a few shops on Lord Sinha Road as an I-T officer to make some money,” said DC (south) Murlidhar Sharma.
Just two days ago, detective department officials busted a gang whose members had looted several shops in Burrabazar and Posta areas as fake income tax officials, a modus operandi similar to the one used in Bollywood movie ‘Special 26’. Seven persons were arrested.
Police from the south division said that they were questioning the accused to ascertain if he had any links with the gang from Posta. “There are a few members of that gang who are yet to be arrested. We have informed both the detective department and the central division in this regard,” a sleuth said.