12 people posing as IT officers dupe cotton trader

Twelve people posing as Income Tax officials allegedly conned a cotton trader here into parting with a huge amount of cash and gold ornaments, police said today.
Claiming that they are Income Tax officials, they gained entry into the house of Basheer in Singanallur area early yesterday to conduct a 'raid'. They then opened an almirah and found a locker, but could not prise it open due to some problem, police said.
They then asked the trader to accompany them and left with the locker in two cars, police said.
At Neelambur area on the National Highway, they forced him to get out and fled.

Basheer lodged a complaint with police claiming that the locker contained Rs 40 lakh and 150 sovereigns of gold jewellery.
They are carrying out probe to ascertain the actual amount of cash and jewellery in the locker, police said.