Mumbai Mirror

Mumbai, Aug 29: Suraj Shetty (28) thought he could get away with anything posing as an IPS officer from the Intelligence Bureau (IB). But his luck ran out when his car met with an accident in Powai on August 21.

On questioning him, the police found out that Shetty was just a Std XII pass, who had been posing as an IPS officer for the past six months, and arrested him. He had, even married a girl from Rohtak claiming to be an IPS officer, said the police.

The incident took place at the Adi Shankaracharya Marg, Powai where Shetty’s red beacon-wielding Lancer collided with a bus. He immediately stepped out of the car and started abusing the driver. Seeing the commotion, policemen patrolling the area rushed to the spot only to be told by Shetty that he was an IPS officer with IB.

“Our men brought both the bus driver and Shetty to the police station. When we asked Shetty for his vehicle documents and ID card, he couldn’t produce them,” said a senior police official at the Powai police station.

Realising that something was wrong, the police questioned Shetty further. “Initially we didn’t question him like we interrogate criminals. We were very cautious with our line of questioning as he could have really been an IPS officer,” said the official. However, during questioning Shetty faltered many times.

The truth

Within an hour, Shetty told the police that he was a Std XII pass from Dombivli. Originally from Udipi, Shetty came to Mumbai a few years ago, completed Std XII and then started working as a waiter at a hotel in Sion.

“While he was studying he got hooked to the Internet. Even while working as a waiter he regularly used to surf the Internet,” said the official.

Con artist

It was through a chat engine that Shetty met his wife Neeraj Malik, an undergraduate from Rohtak.

“Posing as an IPS officer, he got friendly with her and later eloped with her. They got married in February. Her parents soon accepted their marriage and gave the couple money and expensive gifts to lead a comfortable life,” added the official.

Shetty rented a house for Rs 18,000 per month at Gorai. “He used to tell his wife that he was an IB officer and would step out of home for a few hours every day,” said the official.

The police said Shetty recently borrowed Rs 5 lakh from Neeraj’s uncle to start a business. “He bought a Lancer car for Rs 2.5 lakh from Delhi and kept the remaining money.

On August 21, he was returning home from his rakhi sister’s house in Vikhroli when the incident occurred,” said the official.

The police have recovered a fake passport, several visiting cards and also documents pertaining to the 7/11 blasts. “To prove that he was indeed an IB officer Shetty downloaded several documents and pictures relating to the blasts from the Internet,” said the official.

The police have registered a case under Sections 170 (personating as public servant), 419 (cheating by personating), 463 (forgery), 464 (making a false document), 465 (forgery), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 474 (having possession of fake government document and intending to use it as genuine) of Indian Penal Code and also Section 34 (common intent) of Bombay Police Act.

“His wife and two other men — the driver and a friend — were with Shetty on the day of the accident.

“We have arrested the two men, but let his wife go as she was cheated by him and had no knowledge of his activities,” added the official.