Fake magistrate held for duping shopkeepers

A 65-year-old man, impersonating a magistrate, was arrested for duping shopkeepers by taking some amounts of money after threatening them with fines or cancellation of their licenses, said police Monday.

Kishan Lal Gupta, a resident of Kamla Nagar area in north Delhi, was arrested Saturday from Nabi Karim market in central Delhi while trying to dupe some shopkeepers.

"Gupta's driver Rajiv, in his early 30s, was also arrested with him from the spot after one of the shopkeepers got suspicious over their activities and informed police," Deputy Commissioner of Police Alok Kumar told IANS.

He said that Gupta would target shopkeepers in big markets.

"At the time of his arrest, he was clad in suit and tie. He has a fake identity card of an honorary magistrate. He would travel in a car pasted with a government sticker," said the official.

"His driver used to meet shopkeepers and threaten them saying if they want to save the cancellation of their licenses, he can help them. The driver would take some money from the shopkeepers for the purpose," said Kumar, adding police were still verifying the number of shopkeepers duped by Gupta and his driver.

Gupta, during his interrogation, told police that earlier he was a stockist of ayurvedic medicines.