19 pose as CBI sleuths to raid sugar mill in UP, 16 arrested

Apparently inspired by Akshay Kumar-starrer Bollywood movie 'Special 26', 19 people reached a sugar mill here posing as CBI officers to extort money, but they ran out of luck and 16 of them landed in jail due to timely intervention of the police.

Sixteen people have been arrested for posing as CBI officers when they went to conduct a raid at a sugar mill in Asmoli area here, Superintendent of Police Yamuna Prasad said Friday.

He said 19 people, posing as CBI officers, reached the sugar mill on Thursday and claimed that there were certain discrepancies in adhering to pollution control norms besides some other lacunae and demanded Rs 15-20 lakh from the mill management.

On suspecting foul play, some mill staff informed the police, who arrested 16 people while three others managed to flee.

All of the arrested have been sent to jail, the SP said.

'Special 26', is a 2013 Indian heist film directed by Neeraj Pandey starring Akshay Kumar in the lead role.

The film is inspired by the 1987 Opera House heist where a group posing as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers executed an income tax raid on a jeweller in Mumbai.