Fake IAS officer held for cheating several people
HYDERABAD: Filmnagar police on Wednesday arrested a man who allegedly posed as an Indian Administrative Service officer and cheated several people by promising government favours. Police said the accused, Battini Shashikanth, 39, of Nandikotkur in Kurnool district, collected more than ₹10 lakh from different individuals.
West Zone deputy commissioner of police Chintamaneni Srinivas told reporters that Shashikanth, who studied up to BCom and remained unemployed, began projecting himself as an officer to gain status and money. He bought expensive clothes, footwear and hired two men as bodyguards.
Shashikanth allegedly introduced himself as an IAS officer to Ali Hasan, managing director of Gold’s Gym in Shaikpet, and claimed he was working with the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation. Police said he offered to secure industrial land allotment and collected ₹10.5 lakh from him.
Accused used fake government vehicle stickers
He allegedly bought a car, fixed a government-vehicle sticker, installed a siren and used a forged identity card. Police said he also handed walkie-talkies to his bodyguards to appear official. At several places he claimed he was an IAS officer, and in others he claimed to be an IPS officer posted with the National Investigation Agency.
Investigators said he even posed as a deputy commissioner in the mining department and issued fake land-allotment letters. When Hasan learnt that the letter given to him was fake, he lodged a complaint with the Filmnagar police station.
Police track him to Shaikpet apartment
Inspector Santosham and his team monitored Shashikanth’s movements and traced him to a rented flat at Aparna Aura Apartments in Shaikpet. Police arrested him in the early hours of Wednesday and seized two mobile phones, six SIM cards, two walkie-talkies and a forged identity card.
The two men who acted as bodyguards Praveen and Vimal are on the run, police said.
A case has been registered and Shashikanth has been remanded in judicial custody. Assistant commissioner of police Samala Venkata Reddy and other officials were present.
