A father-son duo in Gujarat’s Mehsana duped a businessman out of Rs 21.65 lakh with the help of a water seller posing as a fake IAS officer. The fraudsters allegedly concocted a story about a Rs 300 crore seizure during an Income Tax raid to swindle the businessman.

The police have arrested the fake IAS officer, while the father and son remain on the run.

According to the police, Surat-based Jayantibhai and his son Kaushik Patel befriended local businessman Dinesh Patel. Over time, they exploited his trust by claiming that an Income Tax raid had been conducted at their residence and that Rs 300 crore had been seized. They falsely claimed the funds could only be recovered through court proceedings and asked Dinesh Patel to lend them money to hire a lawyer.

To strengthen their deception, the duo enlisted the help of Arpit, alias Rishan Reddy, a water seller from Ahmedabad who impersonated an IAS officer. Arpit contacted Dinesh Patel and, using a script provided by the duo, claimed to be a high-ranking official aware of the alleged tax seizure. He even sent photos of cash to make the story seem credible and urged Patel to financially assist Kaushik and Jayantibhai.

“I have Rs 300 crore seized by the Income Tax department. Send money to help your friends Kaushik and Jayantibhai in getting it released,” Arpit told Dinesh.

Dinesh Patel transferred Rs 21.65 lakh to the conmen under the impression that he was helping friends entangled in a serious legal battle. When no repayment followed, he filed a complaint with the Visnagar police in April.

Further police investigation revealed that Arpit had no official credentials and was, in fact, working as a water seller in Ahmedabad. He admitted to being paid Rs 80,000 by the Patel duo for making the impersonation calls and participating in the ruse.

Water seller Arpit was arrested by the police on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Jayantibhai and Kaushik Patel remain absconding, and efforts are ongoing to trace them.

– Ends