Bhubaneswar, Jun 26: Commissionerate Police on Friday arrested a man in Bhubaneswar for allegedly impersonating an IAS officer and defrauding people by posing as a District Collector, a senior Police officer said.

The accused has been identified as Barada Sudhir from Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.

#Bhubaneswar | Commissionerate Police has arrested a fake IAS officer, Barada Sudhir, for posing as a District Collector and defrauding businesses.

The accused used a fake ID card to buy luxury goods, stay in star hotels, and rent premium cars, while using fake online… pic.twitter.com/B4aXDFm7cG

Police said Sudhir would show counterfeit ID cards to shopkeepers and hoteliers, claiming to be a Collector. When asked for payment, he allegedly displayed fake PhonePe transactions to avoid settling bills. Complaints lodged at local police stations led to his arrest, sources said.
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Investigations revealed that Sudhir had earlier been arrested in similar fraud cases across different districts and had even served jail time. After being released, he resumed his activities, this time introducing himself as an IAS officer to gain credibility.

Police said Sudhir has multiple fraud cases registered across districts and had earlier served jail time for similar crimes. He was out on bail when he committed the latest offences.