Hyderabad Police Arrest Man Who Impersonated IAS and IPS Officers in Elaborate Two-Year Scam

Police in Hyderabad have apprehended Bathini Shashikanth, a 39-year-old con artist who allegedly masqueraded as high-ranking government officials to defraud innocent citizens.

Hyderabad:

Hyderabad police successfully captured a sophisticated fraudster, Bathini Shashikanth, who had been impersonating senior government officials to deceive and extract money from unwary individuals.

For more than two years, the 39-year-old suspect allegedly misled the public by presenting himself as either an IAS officer working as Deputy Commissioner of Mines or as an IPS/NIA officer.

The arrest was disclosed today after Film Nagar police conducted a rapid operation on November 25, successfully apprehending Shashikanth at his temporary residence.

Ch. Srinivas, Deputy Commissioner of Police for the West Zone, verified the arrest and explained that the accused had been taking advantage of people by displaying his counterfeit official position.

"A person who was introducing himself as an IPS officer in some places and an IAS officer in some places... was exploiting people by showing his fake official position, has been arrested today by Film Nagar Police Station," stated the DCP.

The investigation revealed an intricate scheme employed by Shashikanth to build credibility. This included manufacturing and utilizing fake IAS/IPS/NIA identity cards, business cards, and forged documents.

Additionally, he employed two bodyguards, identified as Praveen and Vimal, and obtained weapons from Tamil Nadu to enhance his appearance as a senior government official. Police are currently searching for these two bodyguards who remain at large.

Shashikanth also installed police sirens on his personal vehicle and used walkie-talkies to simulate official communications. Police confirmed the seizure of numerous counterfeit identification documents from his residence.

"When we searched his house after the arrest, we found an IAS officer card... a card showing Deputy Commissioner, Mines, and another card in the name of Deputy Director Ministry of Home Affairs," DCP Srinivas revealed.

The accused gained the confidence of complainant Ali Hassan, Managing Director of Gold Gym, and collected a total of Rs 10,50,665 through various payment methods including bank transfers, UPI, and cash.

Shashikanth had promised to help the victim acquire industrial land by circulating a forged TSIIC industrial land allotment letter, as well as offering other official favors. He disappeared after receiving the money.

Following the arrest, authorities confiscated two mobile phones, six SIM cards, two walkie-talkies, and a fake identification card.

"If anyone is posing as a Government servant, especially a police officer... don't believe them and give them money or provide facilities," the DCP cautioned. "If there is any suspicious situation, please provide information to the local police or Dial 100."