Man arrested for posing as IAS officer, duping people

ALIGARH: The Aligarh police arrested a man for posing as an IAS officer and duping many people of Rs 50 lakh. His blue beacon fitted car was recovered from Lucknow, said Yashveer Singh, SP, (rural area) on Thursday.

The accused, Yogendra Pratap Singh, 35, a post graduate, was nabbed in Bannadevi area of Aligarh late on Wednesday night, he said during a press conference here.

Yogendra Pratap Singh, a native of Murhi Panna village in Auraiya, was living in a rented house of an MLA from Colenelganj (Gonda), Ajay Pratap Singh alias ‘Lalla Bhaiyya’ in Lucknow’s Gomti Nagar.

Lalla Bhaiya was not residing in the Lucknow house, said the SP.

A fruit seller, Mohd Yusuf of Sahibabad (Ghaziabad) had lodged an FIR against four persons, including Yogendra Pratap Singh on April 22, 2017. Yusuf alleged that some rowdy elements had taken unauthorised possession of 9.5 bigha land belonging to his brother-in-laws, Iqbal, Sultan and Tayyab in Khair, Gomat (Aligarh).

In December 2016, Yusuf’s friend had arranged a meeting with Yogendra Pratap Singh who claimed to be an IAS officer and said he would get the land vacated. He demanded Rs 20 lakh for the job, added the SP.

Later, Yogendra demanded ₹5 lakh on the pretext of giving it to the SSP.

He also demanded Rs 5 lakh on the pretext of giving it to the DM. The money was handed over to him at his Lucknow flat, but he failed to get the land vacated, said Yashveer Singh.

“Then a complaint was lodged with SSP and a case was registered by the police,” he said.

After Yogendra’s arrest, many cases of cheating and impersonation registered against him in Hapur, Delhi, Lucknow and Noida cropped up. He has been sent to jail after interrogation, added the SP.

On the other hand, MLA Lalla Bhaiyya’s tenant, Vijay Narain Singh told Lucknow police that Yogendra Pratap Singh had been kidnapped.

Amber Singh, inspector, Gomti Nagar (Lucknow), said: “Vijay Narain Singh informed the police that his guest Yogendra Pratap Singh has been kidnapped. After investigations, it was found that Aligarh police had arrested him. He was wanted by the Aligarh police for a long time.”

“The accused Yogendra was a contract employee with Greater Noida Authority. He had duped a person of Rs 3.30 lakh in Hapur also,” said Yashveer Singh, SP (rural area).

Investigating officer and Rasalganj police post in-charge RP Gautam said, “The police only had his photo and mobile number. The surveillance team contacted him, but he always gave his wrong location. When informers were activated, his real location was found and he was arrested.”

AFTER YOGENDRA’S ARREST, MANY CASES OF CHEATING AND IMPERSONATION REGISTERED AGAINST HIM IN HAPUR, DELHI, LUCKNOW AND NOIDA CROPPED UP