Man arrested for posing as police officer, duping cops with fake PSI identity in Ahmedabad

The Ahmedabad Police have arrested a man who allegedly impersonated a police sub-inspector (PSI) from Mehsana and attempted to mislead officers by falsely identifying himself as a state servant over the phone.

As per the First Information Report lodged at Gujarat University Police Station, the incident occurred on December 17, when a person introduced himself as 'PSI Rathod from Mehsana' and contacted police personnel in Ahmedabad.

The university police have arrested the man for impersonating a PSI and attempting to mislead law enforcement officials by making false phone calls, officials said.

The accused, identified as Tarun Brahmbhatt, allegedly posed as a PSI and called a police station, claiming to be conducting an inquiry into a case involving an Ahmedabad resident. During the call, he reportedly alleged that the man was sending obscene messages to his wife, and sought details under the guise of an official investigation.

The complainant, a police staff member posted at the Gujarat University Police Station, stated that while on duty between noon and 8 pm, he received information from the Navrangpura Police Station regarding a suspicious call. Shortly thereafter, a call was received on the police station’s PSO desk in which the caller claimed to be PSI Rathod and enquired whether a specific residential address near the Memnagar fire station fell under their jurisdiction.

After being told that it did, the caller allegedly claimed that an accused person linked to a case in Mehsana resided at the address and instructed the police to send a patrol vehicle there and share its vehicle number with him. Acting on the information, a PCR vehicle was dispatched.

Police grew suspicious over the nature of the call and initiated verification with the Mehsana district police. During the inquiry, it emerged that no officer named “PSI Rathod” — the identity used by the caller — was posted in Mehsana. Following this, the university police registered a case and arrested Brahmbhatt for impersonation.

Officials said preliminary investigations revealed that the accused is a native of Patan and works as a land broker. Further checks showed that he has a criminal history, with at least four cases previously registered against him across Mehsana, Patan, Khokhra and Chanasma B Division police stations.

Confirming the arrest, B H Kansagara, Assistant Commissioner of Police, B Division, said that the accused had been impersonating a police officer to intimidate and extract information. “The modus operandi involved calling police stations and civilians while falsely projecting himself as a serving officer,” Kansagara said, adding that further investigation is under way to ascertain whether the accused was involved in similar incidents elsewhere.