Man files fake case to settle a score, held

NEW DELHI: To settle a score with four men with whom he allegedly fought over giving right of way, a 25-year-old private tutor filed a false complaint at the Alipur police station on Saturday. The tutor alleged that the four men robbed him of ₹5 lakh, and diamond and gold jewellery worth several lakhs of rupees, after involving him in an altercation to make to look like a road rage incident.

However, his plan failed and the tutor, identified as Pankaj Lakra, was arrested as his story fell flat when the police checked his movements of that day. They found that he mortgaged the jewellery he claimed the four men stole to a bank the same day. The police also identified and questioned the four men, who told them that it was actually the complainant who impersonated a Delhi Police inspector and thrashed two of them.

“We have arrested Lakra on charges of impersonation and filing a fake complaint, and registered an FIR. Lakra, while driving on the wrong side of the road, fought with the four men and assaulted two of them after claiming to be a police inspector. Lakra filed the false complaint only to take revenge from the four men, whom he did not even know,” said deputy commissioner of police (outer-north) Gaurav Sharma.

On Saturday evening, DCP Sharma said the Alipur police received a call regarding a robbery at a traffic signal near Singhola village in Alipur. A police team went there and met the caller, Lakra, who alleged that he was driving his i10 car when four occupants of a Santro car came driving from the wrong side and asked him to stop. Lakra said that when he did not stop and continued driving, the four men took a U-turn and intercepted his car, forcing him to stop.

“They fought over giving each other the right of way. Lakra alleged that two of them overpowered him from behind while the other two picked up his bag containing jewellery and ₹5 lakh from the rear seat. They also snatched his gold chain before fleeing,” a police officer said, quoting Lakra’s complaint.

A robbery case was registered and the police initially suspected the role of a gang that deliberately picks up a fight with commuters and them robs them. However, when Lakra’s allegations were verified, his cellphone details checked and his movements of the day examined, the police found some contradictions.

“His cellphone details revealed that he had already mortgaged the jewellery in a bank before the alleged robbery,” the DCP said.