A civic volunteer of Pragati Maidan police station was arrested for allegedly stealing the uniform of an officer of Kasba police station on Thursday night and going around troubling residents, posing as a police officer.

On Thursday night, the police received calls on Kolkata Police helpline from a section of Kasba residents who alleged that a person in police uniform was moving around threatening people and that he claimed to be an officer of Kasba police station.

The callers alleged that the person struggled to keep his uniform in place and appeared to be drunk.

Senior officers of Kolkata Police said that after receiving the calls, a team of officers brought the person to Kasba police station. He sported a white uniform, that of an officer of the Kolkata Police, and struggled to stand straight.

“The man identified himself as Niraj Singh and worked as a civic volunteer with Pragati Maidan police station,” said an officer.

“Asked where he had found a police uniform, the man said he stole it from the barracks of the Kasba police station,” said the officer.

Singh was subsequently arrested on charges of allegedly stealing a police uniform and impersonating an officer.

A departmental inquiry will be initiated against him.