'Fake' retired IPS officer threatening Ghaziabad DCP's staff sent to jail

Ghaziabad: A man allegedly posing as a retired IPS officer and threatening the staff of a deputy commissioner of police (DCP) to end proceedings against his associate was on Thursday sent to 14 days judicial custody.

Sahibabad police had arrested Anil Katiyal (68), who posed himself as a retired IPS officer of 1979 batch of Manipur cadre, and his associate Vinod Kapoor (69) from Delhi and Gurugram respectively on Tuesday night.

Katiyal hid his true identity for earning financial benefits and getting undue advantage, the police said.

Both the accused were on Thursday produced before Chief Judicial Magistrate Jasvir Singh Yadav, who sent both of them to jail.

The "fake" IPS officer had threatened the Public Relation Officer (PRO) of DCP Trans Hindon, Neeraj Rathore, who had lodged FIR against him at Sahibabad police station.

In his FIR, Rathore said the accused called him on November 14 on his official mobile phone number and disclosed his identity as Anil Katiyal, retired IPS of 1979 batch of Manipur cadre and presently posted as adviser in the ministry of home affairs (MHA).

He allegedly told Rathore that Indirapuram police lodged a fake FIR against a man Vinod Kapoor and arrested him on October 1 from Haryana.

DCP Trans Hindan, Nimish Patil, said during the phone call, Katiyal also threatened Rathore, claiming he would get an FIR registered against the Indirapuram police under Section 140(1) (kidnapping or abducting in order to murder or for ransom) of the BNS, and that the police officers involved would spend their lives behind bars.

Katiyal allegedly exerted pressure on Rathore to end proceedings against Kapoor, he said.

The police lodged an FIR against Katiyal and Kapoor under sections 308 (extortion), 221 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 204 (personating a public servant) and 318 (cheating) of the BNS, he said.

Patil added that Kapoor, who is the accused in the Indirapuram police case, had also made similar threats to the investigating officer, Sub-Inspector Pramod Hudda, at Indirapuram police station.