 |
|
A still from Friday-release Special 26, in which Akshay Kumar cons people by posing as a CBI officer
|
A 24-year-old youth was arrested for allegedly posing as a traffic sergeant and collecting “fines” from motorists violating traffic rules.
Suvra Kanti Das was in the sergeant’s white uniform and standing beside a motorcycle displaying the Calcutta police insignia when he was picked up for interrogation from the Mayo Road-Dufferin Road crossing, which falls on the daily convoy route of several VIPs.
Das, who had worked as a private security guard for four years, was also carrying a fake police identity card, rubber stamp of the force and receipt book for fines.
“He was wearing the uniform of a traffic sergeant, complete with two stars on each shoulder flap and the belt. But the missing shoe breaches and wireless set, which is attached to a sergeant’s belt when he is not holding it, gave him away,” said Pallab Kanti Ghosh, the joint commissioner of police (crime).
The police said the youth, from Dantan on the West Midnapore-Odisha border, had sat for the constable recruitment test last year but failed. He had also failed the Higher Secondary exam.
Das’s act has a parallel with the story of the film Special 26, to be released on Friday. In the film, Akshay Kumar plays the role of a con artist who poses as a CBI official and robs businessmen and politicians of crores.
It was around 3.30pm when Samir Kumar Sinha, the officer-in-charge of South Traffic Guard, spotted Das at the crossing while passing by in a car. “He looked confident but the missing breaches and wireless set made me suspicious,” said Sinha.
When Sinha confronted him, Das said he was attached to the traffic control room at the Lalbazar headquarters. The officer-in-charge contacted the control room and learnt that there was no officer by that name.
Das was taken to Maidan police station for further interrogation.
“He confessed that he was not part of the force and was carrying forged documents. He also admitted that he had collected ‘fines’ from truck drivers wearing the sergeant’s uniform at Chitpore last week,” said an officer of Maidan police station.
After going through Das’s receipt book, the police learnt that he had collected Rs 800 as “fine” on Thursday.
|
