Two housekeeping staff arrested for impersonating GST officials, extorting ₹5 lakh

The Banashankari police have arrested two housekeeping staff for allegedly impersonating Central government officials and extorting ₹5 lakh from a gutka businessman, officials said on Wednesday.

The accused have been identified as Nagaraju P., 37, and Dadapeer Ballari, 35, who were working as outsourced housekeeping staff at the Office of the Principal Commissioner of Central Tax in Bengaluru.

According to police, acting on specific inputs, vigilance officers of the department recently searched the rooms within the office premises, where the duo was staying. During the search, officials allegedly recovered ₹1 lakh in cash from Ballari and ₹1.5 lakh from Nagaraju.

Further searches led to the seizure of three fake identity cards bearing the name “Government of India, Ministry of Finance, Department of Revenue, Office of the Principal Commissioner of Central Tax (GST), Bengaluru West Commissionerate”. The forged ID cards carried the designations of intelligence officer and sepoy. Officials recovered copies of six fake search warrants from their possession.

During detailed interrogation, the accused reportedly confessed that on January 10, they posed as officials from the GST office and extorted ₹5 lakh from a gutka businessman in Peenya by threatening action.

After being questioned for six days in police custody, they were produced before a Bengaluru court, which remanded them in judicial custody.