Gang of Fake Income Tax Officers Arrested in Dahod
A group of individuals posing as Income Tax (I-T) officers conducting raids in Sukhsar village, Fatepura, Dahod, has been apprehended by the police. The gang, which consisted of seven members from various professions, included a GST inspector from Vadodara, who conspired to orchestrate a phony raid at the premises of a businessman involved in textiles and money lending.
They initially demanded ₹25 lakh from the businessman but ended up extorting ₹2 lakh as a settlement. Growing suspicious of their intentions, the businessman contacted the police, leading to the arrest of five of the fake officers, while two others managed to flee the scene.
The conspirators identified include Abdul Gundia, a land broker from Dahod; Rakesh Rathod, a railway ward boy; Bhavesh Acharya, who worked as an outsourced employee for the Ahmedabad police; and Umesh Patel, Manish Patel, Vipul Patel (a GST inspector from Vadodara), alongside Nayan Patel from Surat. Together they devised this deceitful scheme.
Approximately 25 days earlier, they conducted surveillance at the shop owned by Alpesh Prajapati, a businessman dealing in textiles and money lending. Abdul and Rakesh had previously scouted the location.
Assuming the role of Income Tax officials, the gang conducted a raid at Alpesh Prajapati’s shop in Sukhsar, scrutinizing account records and customer jewelry. They initially demanded ₹25 lakh and, after negotiations, the businessman surrendered ₹2 lakh, being told to procure the remaining amount from Zalod.
While en route to Zalod with the group, the businessman became skeptical and requested identification from the supposed officers. When they failed to provide any, they attempted to escape.
Promptly, the businessman informed the police, who swiftly arrived at the scene. Five members of the gang were apprehended, while two others managed to elude capture. The police are currently working diligently to track down the absconding suspects.
Vipul Patel, a GST inspector from Anand, was identified as the mastermind behind the phony raid. He transitioned from being a clerk in the state GST department to an inspector after 16 years of service, ultimately driven by greed. He collaborated with his relatives Umesh and Manish in executing the scam.
Gundia and Rathod became aware of the businessman during a visit to the Dahod court. Lured by the promise of quick cash, they joined the conspiracy. Rathod, with four prohibition cases against him and a background as a witness in previous cases, remains on the run.
Acharya, one of those arrested, was working as an outsourced staff member at Vivekananda Nagar Police Station in Ahmedabad. He also had roles as an RTI activist and journalist, while Umesh served as a home guard at the same police station.
The investigation continues, with authorities actively pursuing the remaining two suspects.