Patna: The Cyber Cell of Patna Police has arrested two brothers for impersonating Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials and using the name of a former IAS officer to extort money from prominent individuals, including doctors, in Bihar’s capital.
Sanjay Kumar, DIG of EOU, identified the accused as Ranjeet Kumar and Rajesh Kumar, both residents of Sultanpur, Danapur.
He said that they posed as top ED officers and used the name of retired IAS officer Karu Ram to threaten and extort money from their targets.
“The duo had successfully duped at least 10 individuals using this modus operandi. Their latest target was a well-known doctor from a reputed hospital near Saguna Mod in Patna. However, the plan backfired when the complainant reported to the Economic Offences Unit (EOU), flagged the attempt and alerted the Cyber Crime Cell, which swiftly moved into action and arrested both men,” said DIG Sanjay Kumar.
He added that on May 2, they allegedly demanded a sum of Rs 2 lakh by threatening the doctor with a fabricated ED raid, adding that the complainant informed the police about the call, and immediately constituted a team to nab the accused.
DIG Sanjay Kumar further added that during the investigation, police recovered two keypad phones, one smartphone, and a fake press card from the accused.
“The arrested duo has confessed to at least 10 cases of fraud, revealing that they had been running this extortion racket for quite some time. A case has been formally registered with the Economic Offences Unit, and the property of the accused is also under scrutiny for potential attachment under relevant sections of law,” he said
DIG Sanjay Kumar said that the accused used fear tactics and high-profile impersonation to extort large sums.
“We are expanding the probe to identify other victims and any accomplices. Further interrogation and investigation by both the Cyber Cell and EOU are currently underway. The cyber cell has sent the mobile phones of the accused to a forensic science laboratory for detailed scanning,” he said.