In a significant breakthrough, Banashankari police in Bengaluru have arrested two men for allegedly impersonating GST officials and extorting Rs5 lakh from a gutka trader.
The accused, identified as Nagaraj and Dadapeer, were working as housekeeping staff on a contract basis at the GST Principal Commissioner’s office in Banashankari. Police said they misused their access to the premises to create fake identity cards and forged documents, posing as GST enforcement officers.
On January 10, the duo allegedly approached a trader in Peenya, threatened him with legal consequences, and extorted Rs5 lakh under the pretext of conducting an official GST inspection.
The fraud surfaced after GST department officials noticed suspicious behaviour by the accused. A search of their office quarters on February 17 led to the recovery of fake GST ID cards, forged search warrant copies, and other incriminating materials. Officials then lodged a formal complaint with Banashankari police.
Following an investigation, both accused were arrested and remanded to judicial custody. Police suspect they may have targeted other businessmen using similar tactics and are examining their activities in detail.
Authorities emphasised that impersonating government officials to extort money is a serious criminal offence and advised traders to verify the identity and credentials of enforcement officers before cooperating in any inspection or inquiry.
