A 39-year-old man, who had been posing as a senior government official for over two years and extorting money from unsuspecting citizens, was arrested by the Film Nagar police on Tuesday.
The accused, identified as Bathini Shashikanth, impersonated IAS, IPS and NIA officers to gain public trust and used to collect huge amount of money on the promise of official favours.
According to the police, Shashikanth posed as Deputy Commissioner in the Ministry of Mines and at times claimed to be a senior IPS officer. He created fake IAS, IPS and NIA identity cards, business cards and other forged documents to make them look legitimate. To complete the scam, he hired two gun-toting bodyguards from Tamil Nadu, mounted police sirens on his private vehicle and used walkie-talkies to imitate official communications.
Investigations also revealed that he was sending a forged letter to Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC) to lure victims, promising industrial plots and government permits. The case came to light following a complaint by one Ali Hassan, Managing Director of Gold Gym, who was defrauded of ₹10,50,665 after he was assured of assistance in procuring industrial land. Once the money was collected, Shashikanth allegedly fled.
After being tipped off, the Film Nagar police arrested the accused at his temporary residence. He has been listed under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for cheating, forgery, impersonation, intimidation and extortion. Two of his associates, identified as Praveen and Vimal, who acted as personal bodyguards, are still at large and efforts are on to trace them.
During the arrest, the police seized two mobile phones, six SIM cards, two radios and a fake identity card. Authorities advised citizens to remain vigilant and report suspicious individuals or businesses claiming to be the government to prevent further scams.
Published – 26 Nov 2025 19:34 IST
