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Five CISF personnel, including an inspector, have been arrested in West Bengal for impersonating income tax officers and executing a heist at a Chinar Park residence. The suspects, along with three accomplices, allegedly planned the robbery in connection with a property dispute.
Kolkata: Five active CISF personnel stationed at critical locations in Bengal have been arrested by Bidhannagar Police for allegedly impersonating income tax officers and executing a heist similar to the plot of the Bollywood film Special 26 at Chinar Park last week.
The arrested individuals include an inspector, a head constable, two male constables, and a female constable who had been assigned to RG Kar Medical College for four months following the rape and murder of a doctor at the hospital last August. Their identities have not been disclosed, as they are set to undergo a Test Identification (TI) parade this Friday at Dum Dum correctional home, where they are currently held.
Additionally, three civilians suspected of assisting them in the crime have also been taken into custody.
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DCP (Airport) Aishwariya Sagar stated, "Our investigation revealed that complainant Vinita Singh was engaged in a property dispute with her stepmother, Aarti Singh. Aarti, with the help of a relative, reached out to a CISF inspector stationed at NTPC Farakka and conspired to carry out a heist at Vinita's residence.
They had agreed to split the stolen valuables equally between Aarti and the CISF personnel." Vinita had already suspected her stepmother's involvement in the incident.
As part of their scheme, the five CISF personnel, along with two accomplices, stormed into Vinita's Chinar Park residence on March 18, disguising themselves as income tax officers. Arriving in two vehicles, they made off with jewelry and Rs 3 lakh in cash. They did not present any identification or provide the family with a seizure list before fleeing the scene.
Vinita's complaint states that the incident occurred late at night when their security guard answered the doorbell. A group of intruders, consisting of a woman and two men dressed in police uniforms, while the others were in civilian clothing, forced their way inside. Claiming to be income tax officers conducting a raid with police support, they quickly seized all mobile phones and gathered the family members in the dining hall.
The CISF personnel involved have been suspended and could face dismissal if found guilty. As per the complaint, the intruders went straight to Vinita's grandmother’s room, rummaging through her belongings while notably avoiding any jewellery owned by her stepmother, Aarti. Before fleeing, they also took the home's CCTV recorder. Police stated that surveillance footage revealed the suspects had arrived in a pickup van and a motorcycle.
Police stated that CCTV footage confirmed the suspects had arrived in a pickup van and a motorcycle. Investigators tracked down the vehicle’s driver, Shiv Mangal Gan, and apprehended him in the South Port area. During questioning, he disclosed that he had been hired by a middleman. This led to the arrest of Dipak Rana from New Alipore, who revealed that he had been acting on instructions from a CISF inspector.
Using technical surveillance, police located and arrested the CISF inspector, a three-star officer, in Farraka. He later admitted that four of his subordinates had assisted him in executing the crime. These individuals were subsequently arrested from the Port area and Durgapur. Authorities are continuing to conduct raids to recover the stolen valuables.
CISF sources said all the accused had been suspended.
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