A 65-year-old man, tried to cheat unsuspecting shopkeepers of Central Delhi by impersonating magistrate, has been arrested by the Central district police. Kishan lal Gupta, who was active in Central Delhi’s Nabi Karim market by threatening to revoke their licences and issue challans, has been arrested, police said. According to the police, the trickster was nabbed on Saturday. His driver, Rajiv, who is in his 30s, has also been arrested as he used to bait the victims for him.
Kishan lal Gupta, posing as a magistrate arrived in an Innova car with a Government sticker; he was always sharply dressed in a suit. Rajiv went into the nearby shops and told them that the magistrate has come to check their shops and he has the power to cancel their licences and issue challans.
“He told them that he would ‘manage’ things if they paid up. Fearing the worst, some shopkeepers accepted his offer, but one of them grew suspicious and alerted the police,” said a police official. A police team reached the spot and inquired the matter. Gupta furnished an identity card ‘Honorary Magistrate’. It was soon understood that he was a fraud following which he was arrested along with his driver.
During interrogation, Gupta revealed that he is a resident of Kamla Nagar area in North Delhi. He was once the wholesale dealer of a famous ayurvedic beverage and owned property worth crores. However, he suffered loses after which he started duping people using this modus operandi, police said. Police said that they have registered a case under relevant sections and are still verifying the number of shopkeepers duped by Gupta and his driver.