A gang posing as fake Income Tax (I-T) officers and conducting raids in Sukhsar village of Fatepura, Dahod, has been busted. Seven individuals from different professions, along with a GST inspector from Vadodara, conspired to conduct a fake raid at the premises of a businessman dealing in textiles and money lending.
They demanded ₹25 lakh from the businessman, ultimately extorting ₹2 lakh as a settlement amount. Suspicious of their actions, the businessman informed the police, leading to the arrest of five fake I-T officers, while two managed to escape.
Abdul Gundia, a land broker from Dahod, Rakesh Rathod, a railway ward boy, Bhavesh Acharya, employed in Ahmedabad police on an outsourcing basis, Umesh Patel, Manish Patel, Vipul Patel (a GST inspector from Vadodara), and Nayan Patel from Surat, collaborated to plan this scam.
About 25 days prior, they conducted reconnaissance at the shop of Alpesh Prajapati, a textile and moneylending businessman in Sukhsar. Abdul and Rakesh had earlier scouted the area.
The seven conspirators posed as Income Tax officers and conducted a raid at Alpesh Prajapati’s shop in Sukhsar, checking account records and pledged jewellery of customers.
They demanded ₹25 lakh from the businessman. Following negotiations, the businessman handed over ₹2 lakh and was instructed to arrange the remaining amount from Zalod.
On the way to Zalod with the group, the businessman became suspicious and asked for identification from the fake officers. When they failed to provide it, they tried to flee.
The businessman promptly alerted the police, who arrived at the scene. Five members of the gang were caught, while two managed to escape. The police are actively working to apprehend the absconding members.
Vipul Patel, a GST inspector from Anand, served as the mastermind behind the fake raid. Previously a clerk in the state GST department, he had been promoted to inspector after 16 years of service. Motivated by greed, he collaborated with Umesh and Manish, who were his relatives, to conduct the scam.
Gundia and Rathod learned about the businessman during their visit to the Dahod court. Motivated by the lure of quick money, they joined the conspiracy. Rathod, who has four prohibition cases and a history of serving as a witness in other cases, remains at large.
Acharya, one of the arrested individuals, was employed as an outsourced staff member at Vivekananda Nagar Police Station in Ahmedabad. He also worked as an RTI activist and journalist. Umesh, another conspirator, worked as a home guard at the same police station.
The investigation is ongoing, and efforts are being made to apprehend the remaining two suspects.
