The Amruthahalli police in Bengaluru have detained an individual for allegedly defrauding a medical shop proprietor of Rs 41 lakh by impersonating an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and offering to facilitate government contracts, as reported on Thursday.
The suspect, identified as Mithun, hails from Kadur in the Chikkamagaluru district. He purportedly claimed to be a member of the 2023 IAS batch and presented himself as a senior official linked to the National Health Mission (NHM).
As per the complaint lodged by Satish G R, the owner of Shreyas Medicals, Mithun was introduced to him by Dr. Chandrashekar, the district surgeon. The accused allegedly promised to arrange a medicine supply contract valued at Rs 1.8 crore for primary health centers and requested a commission of 20 percent.
Trusting Mithun’s assertions, the complainant reportedly handed over Rs 36 lakh in cash near Jakkur on January 18. Subsequently, an additional Rs 5 lakh was transferred online to a bank account supplied by the accused, culminating in a total payment of Rs 41 lakh.
When the promised official order failed to materialize despite multiple inquiries, the complainant became suspicious and verified Mithun’s claims, only to discover that he was not an IAS officer.
Authorities revealed that Mithun had also visited a government hospital in Chikkamagaluru, where he held meetings with medical staff and attempted to convince them of his false identity. He is additionally accused of exploiting the name of a deputy police commissioner from Bengaluru to enhance his credibility.
Following the complaint, the Amruthahalli police initiated a case and arrested the suspect. During questioning, Mithun allegedly stated that he was one of 900 candidates selected from a pool of 10 lakh applicants, a claim the police believe was intended to deceive potential victims.
Authorities suspect that Mithun may have targeted additional victims using a similar approach, particularly within the healthcare industry. A notice has also been issued to the district surgeon in connection with the case, and further investigations are ongoing.
For the latest updates, be sure to follow us on Instagram.
