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| The fake sub-inspector at Badagada police station in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Ashwinee Pati |
Bhubaneswar, Aug. 13: Much like Shahid Kapoor essaying a fake cop in Bollywood movie Phata Poster Nikla Hero, a youth was today arrested for impersonating as a sub-inspector of police.
The police arrested Adarsh Kumar Parida, 24, a native of Athar Nala in Puri, for extorting money from bus drivers at Kalpana Square in police uniform.
The police said Parida had been extorting money since yesterday. Though Parida had donned the khaki with the badge of Odisha Police and a name tag on his uniform, some people became suspicious as he was wearing sandals instead of shoes.
Later, local residents informed the police. On reaching the spot, Badagada police officials asked him the name of inspector and assistant commissioner of police of his zone. When the youth fumbled, he was arrested.
“His slim figure and hairstyle made him look like a normal cop. We became suspicious when we saw him wearing sandals instead of shoes. So, we informed the police,” said a local resident.
However, Parida told that he was an arts graduate and had donned the police uniform as a part of a play, which was scheduled to be held at Bhanja Kala Mandap this week.
“I am an artiste and I had put on the khaki to play the role of a cop in the play,” said Parida.
Further investigation by the police revealed that the youth had stitched the uniform at Sakhigopal in Puri district by spending around Rs 1,000. The youth also told the police that he was inspired to don the role of a cop after watching the Shahid Kapoor-starrer released last year.
The youth also used to visit a nearby government-run college in uniform to impress girls, said inspector in-charge of Badagada police station D.P. Patro.
In a similar incident in September last year, Khandagiri police had arrested a criminal posing as a policeman. The accused, identified as Bulu Das, used to extort money from young couples visiting the Khandagiri hills threatening to arrest them if they did not pay him.
