Man held for duping people by posing as Customs officer

A man from Solapur in Maharashtra has been arrested on the charge of duping several people in Karnataka and Maharashtra by impersonating as the Superintendent of Customs and Central Excise. Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner Pandurang Rane told presspersons here on Saturday that Siddappa Shivalingappa Patil, 58, a native of Hutagi in Maharashtra has duped five persons in Belagavi, six in Haveri and over 50 persons in Maharashtra. Mr. Rane said he was arrested following a complaint filed by a businessman from Hubballi, whom the accused had approached promising to get him government permission to trade articles confiscated by Customs officials. The accused had taken ₹9.26 lakh from the complainant, Deeparam Purohit, and in turn given him letters with fake government seal and signature. He said a team comprising Town Inspector Shivanand Chalvadi, sub-inspector M.B. Kattimani and staff nabbed the accused on Friday. Two of his accomplices from Hubballi — Shyam Hanumanthsa Kambade, 30, of Nekar Nagar and Ramesh Virappa Malagi, 42 of Old Hubballi — have also been arrested. The police have seized a car worth ₹8 lakh, ₹1.05 lakh in cash, one set of police uniform with shoes, a handcuff, ID card, fake documents and several government seals. The Police Commissioner said they were investigating further as the main accused had confessed to duping several persons in Maharashtra and Karnataka.