Hubballi: A person who was posing as an Income Tax official and looting people landed in jail on Thursday after he went a step ahead and tried to fool the police.
Shivanand Bhajantri alias Ramachandra Bhajantri from Dharwad, not only conned people posing as I-T official, but also as spy, CCB special officer and revenue officer among others. The recent demomestisation move of the Central government helped Bhajantri as he tried to scare the rich in the name of raids.
Bhajantri along with other three, on Wednesday, barged into the house of one Basavraj Poojar claiming to be I-T officials, “searched” the premises and took away Rs 1.5 lakh, warning of more raids. They also extorted money from sand truck owners Mabusab and Imtiyaz posing as revenue officials.
Bhajantri, wanting more money, called Mabusab and Imtiyaz to a hotel near Old Bus Stand. The duo refused. Bhajantri then asked them to come to the Sub Urban police station. When they reached there, he was also present. Producing a fake ID card, Bhajantri tried to fool the police.
The police soon realized that Bhajantri was lying. They took him into custody and interrogated him, where he confessed and accepted his role in many crimes of conning people.
Incidentally, Poojar too had come to the police station to lodge a complaint at the same time. He too filed a case against him along with Mabusab and Imtiyaz.
