Fake Army officer held in Bhubaneswar, SUV with fabricated quantity seized

By Express News Service
BHUBANESWAR: An individual who allegedly faked to be an Army officer to make sure unhindered motion throughout lockdown/shutdown interval was arrested by the town police on Saturday.

Police mentioned the fraudster Ratikant Satpathy of Daruthenga had pasted ‘Army’ stickers each on the entrance and rear windscreens of the SUV he was driving with a fabricated registration quantity.

“Satpathy is an employee of a private company and not an Army officer. He is not even the owner of the SUV that belongs to a man, who is absconding after a cheating case was registered,” mentioned a police official.

Satpathy was nabbed after one Dhananjay Hota of Nayapalli noticed him driving the car within the metropolis bearing the registration variety of his four-wheeler.

Hota owns a white Mahindra XUV500 having registration quantity — OD 02 Y 0023 which Satpathy fraudulently used for the SUV.

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After noticing Satpathy driving a black SUV of the identical make and registration quantity, Hota flashed his automobile’s headlights and honked indicating Satpathy to cease.

When he stopped close to Jaydev Vihar visitors sign, Hota clicked some pictures of the car.

He then managed to intercept the accused close to Pal Heights and confronted him for utilizing the pretend registration quantity.

“Satpathy said he is a Captain in the Army and wanted to amicably sort out the matter. I informed the police officials and they whisked him away to Nayapalli police station. Earlier, I had received three challans of Rs 1,000, Rs 2,000, and Rs 2,500 for various traffic violations, which seem to be committed by the fraudster as he was using my vehicle registration number,” mentioned Hota.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the precise proprietor of the SUV which was seized from Satpathy has reportedly not cleared the car mortgage.

“He was driving the same vehicle with fake registration number and Army stickers to hoodwink the cops during the lockdown and also to avoid the attention of the finance company’s officials,” mentioned an officer of Nayapalli police station.

Satpathy has been arrested and a cap with Army printed on it has been seized from his possession. Further investigation is on.