Man arrested for impersonating as IFS officer, cheating businessman of Rs 36 crores

New Delhi [India], September 3 : The Economic Offences Wing of the Delhi Police has arrested a person for impersonating as an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer and cheating a Gujarat-based businessman to the tune of Rs 36 crores, police said on Thursday.
According to Delhi Police, the arrested person has been identified as Piyush Bandopadhyay.
Police said that the case was registered after receiving a complaint from the representative of SRM Mahadeo Smart Bio Toilet Pvt Ltd alleging they were duped of Rs 36 crore by a group of people by impersonating to be government officials and claiming to get any proposal of the company passed by the Government of India.
In its complaint, the company said that they met Shweta Sorout, wife of Piyush Bandopadhyay through a common friend, who introduced herself as the Indian head of Intellectual Innovation Think Tank Company engaged in selling patent technology to government and non-government agencies across the world.
"Shweta claimed that her husband Piyush Bandopadhyay is an IFS officer presently posted in PMO/GOI. She subsequently arranged a meeting of the representatives of SRM Mahadeo Smart Bio Toilet Pvt Ltd with her husband Piyush Bandopadhyay in Ashoka Hotel. In the first introduction, Bandopadhyay impersonated himself as an IFS officer working in the Government of India/PMO by producing fake a visiting card purportedly carrying his fake designations, degrees, and insignias," Joint Commissioner of Police (EOW) OP Mishra said in a statement.
The statement said that Bandopadhyay informed the complainants that all projects related to Make-in-India, Smart City, Solar Energy, etc, were looked after by him and that he could get any proposal of the company passed by the Government of India.
"In order to convince the company about his genuine credentials, he also produced forged documents purportedly issued by the Government of India. On the basis of the false representations by Piyush Bandopadhyay and his wife, SRM Mahadeo Smart Bio Toilet Pvt Ltd convinced the Directors of Mitsumi Disributors, an NRI company (based in Dubai) to purchase the patent technology from Intellectual Innovation Think Tank," the statement said.
As per their mutual discussion, a total amount of Rs 36 crores was transferred to Intellectual Innovation Think Tank, the police said.
A case was registered under Section 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Economic Offences Wing police station and an investigation was taken up.
The police said that Bandopadhyay has been changing his residence quite often on rent and even before his landlords, he introduced himself as an IFS officer.
"It is reliably learnt that two more complaints have also been filed before Central Investigating Agency regarding his impersonation. On the basis of credible input, Bandopadhyay was arrested by the EOW team from his rented accommodation in Noida," the statement said.
The police have also seized papers of property from the possession of the accused procured through the cheated amount.
Further investigation regarding the role of various other stakeholders is in progress.