B’luru: Class 10 dropout poses as cop, extorts money from vendors; arrested

 

Police arrested a 23-year-old youth who was posing as a cop and extorting money from shopkeepers around KR Market and Chickpet for over two years now.

The accused Vignesh, a Class 10 dropout, came across as a real cop with the mannerism he adopted after befriending other policemen and home guards.

According to the police, Vignesh would extort Rs 500 – Rs 1,000 from the vendors after accusing them of selling tobacco products illegally. Most of the shopkeepers would pay bribes as he would threaten to file criminal cases against them.

However, things went awry for Vignesh when he used the same modus operandi on a Chickpet shopkeeper named Nagesh, who demanded to see his ID card. As Vignesh could not provide any proof to support his bluff, Nagesh called the cops himself and enquired if there was a cop named Vignesh.

A police officer spoke to Vignesh over the phone, and the latter claimed that he was posted in the police commissioner’s office. Suspecting his statements, the officer asked Nagesh to not let Vignesh escape from the spot until a police team arrived. Nagesh detained Vignesh with help from others and he was later handed over to the police.