Posing as I-T officials, 5 CISF personnel rob businessman's house
What's the story
Eight people, including five CISF personnel, have been arrested for a robbery at a Kolkata businessman's house.
The accused, who had posed as Income Tax officers, stole ₹3 lakh in cash and jewelry worth ₹25 lakh from Vinita Singh's residence in the Chinar Park area on March 18.
Vinita is the daughter of the deceased construction businessman.
Police were informed about the robbery after a discrepancy during the fake raid aroused suspicion.
Incident details
How the robbery unfolded
According to police officials, the robbery happened at around 2:00am when the gang, impersonating as Income Tax officers, barged into Vinita's house.
They first seized mobile phones of all family members, then stole ₹3L cash and ₹25L jewelry from the businessman's mother's room.
The robbers also took away a digital video recorder (DVR) connected to CCTV cameras and forced her elderly mother to sign a fake seizure list without giving her a copy.
Investigation launched
Suspicion leads to police investigation
The plan was foiled when the fake cops walked out of Vinita's stepmother's room empty-handed, arousing her suspicion.
When Vinita checked with the I-T department, she found no official raid had happened and immediately lodged a complaint at Baguihati police station.
Bidhannagar police began the probe, examined CCTV footage, and identified the vehicle used by the suspects. Tracing its registration details led them to Deepak Rana, its driver.
Arrests made
CISF personnel and accomplices arrested
Rana's questioning resulted in the arrest of CISF Inspector Amit Kumar Singh, lady constable Laxmi Kumari, Constable Bimal Thapa, Head Constable Ramu Saroj, and Constable Janardhan Shah.
The businessman's second wife, Arati Singh, a middleman involved in the crime, as well as the driver, were also arrested.
Further investigation showed that the fake raid stemmed from a property dispute between Vinita and her stepmother Arati after their father's death.
Conspiracy unraveled
Plot behind the fake IT raid
Police said Arati and one of her relatives had approached the CISF inspector and struck a deal to split any cash recovered in a raid at Vinita's house on 50-50 basis.
"There was a family dispute between Arati Singh and Vinita over their property," an officer said. "That is why this fake IT raid was conducted."
The arrested have been charged under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) including theft, cheating, and using forged documents.