Police and a joint Special Task Force (STF) team in Patna have arrested a fraudster who allegedly posed as Director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to pressure senior officials.
The accused, Abhishek Bhopalka alias Abhishek Agarwal, had recently made a WhatsApp call to the District Magistrate of Bhojpur. Claiming to be a senior ED officer posted in Delhi, he made an attempt to influence an administrative decision.
Suspicious of his tone and conduct, the DM alerted the Superintendent of Police. A technical probe confirmed the caller was a conman.
Acting on inputs, a joint team of Bhojpur police and STF laid a trap and arrested him from the Buddha Colony area in Patna. Police recovered Rs 2.61 lakh in cash and the mobile phone used in the crime.
Police said the accused is a repeat offender. In 2022, he had impersonated the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court and called then DGP SK Singhal, allegedly to recommend an IPS officer. He was arrested in that case by the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) and sent to jail.
After his release, he allegedly resumed fraudulent activities. This time posing as an ED Director. An FIR has been registered, and the STF is probing whether he extorted money from other officials using similar tactics.