The Sambalpur police on Sunday arrested a 39-year-old man of Mangalore for purchasing gold ornaments from a Bangalore-based MBA graduate, who was duping jewellery shop owners by impersonating himself as n Income Tax (IT) officer.
The Bhubaneswar police had on April 11, nabbed the MBA graduate Vishal RN (29) of Scout Camp Road, 4th Cross Railway Station, Bangalore Rural on the charge of duping jewellery shop owners at different parts of the country. After interrogation, police could know that Nithin Kumar B of Lohithnagar, Mangalore was purchasing the gold from the youth. Police arrested him from there and recovered 131.98 grams of gold ornaments. On March 30, Vishal RN had reportedly gone to a jewellery shop in Sambalpur and purchased a gold bracelet and a ring identifying himself as an Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax.
He asked the shop owner to furnish his account details and phone number to send the gold cost amount to his account through NEFT. The shop owner provided his mobile number and account number to Vishal.
Thereafter, the accused showed the shop owner a forged bank debit message of Rs 1,47,750. Believing the message, the shop owner handed over the gold ornaments to him. But later, the shop owner came to know that he was cheated. He lodged an FIR in the local police station. Keeping track on him, police caught Vishal from Bhubaneswar and brought him to Sambalpur. “The accused Vishal RN confessed to having committed a series of cheatings at different places by this means and the businessmen couldn’t suspect him as he was impersonating himself as an IT officer,” said Sambalpur SP B Gangadhar on Sunday.
Vishal also confessed to have committed similar offences at Brahmapur, Puri, Jharsuguda, Visakhapatnam, Hooghly, Chikmangalur and Vapi (Gujarat). During investigation, it was also established that Nithin Kumar was knowingly purchasing the gold ornament from Vishal at much lower price. “And based on the information, a police team went to Mangalore on April 12 and nabbed Nithin Kumar,” the SP said further.
