A 65-year-old man, who used to dupe gullible shopkeepers in Nabi Karim market in central Delhi by posing as a magistrate, was arrested along with an accomplice.
Kishan Lal Gupta and his driver, Rajiv, who helped him in trapping the victims, were arrested on Saturday while they were cheating some shopkeepers here, police said today.
Gupta, clad in a suit, came to the market in an Innova car which had a government sticker, while Rajiv went to the shopkeepers and told them that the 'magistrate' had come to check their shops and "he has the power to cancel their licences and issue challans", a police officer said.
"He told them that he would 'manage' things if they paid some money. Fearing the worst, some shopkeepers accepted his offer, but one of them grew suspicious and called police," the officer said.
A police team reached the spot and began an inquiry. Gupta furnished an identity card of a 'Honorary Magistrate'. It was soon understood that he was a fraud following which he was arrested along with his driver, he said.
During interrogation, Gupta revealed that he is a resident of Kamla Nagar area in North Delhi. He was once a wholesale dealer of a famous ayurvedic beverage and owned property worth crores. However, he suffered losses after which he started duping people using this modus operandi, police said.
A case has been registered under relevant sections and police is verifying the number of shopkeepers duped by Gupta and his driver.
