GUWAHATI: Assam police detained a man professing to be the magistrate of Titabar from Jorhat yesterday (19th May).
The man, identified as Biswajit Dutta, had a printout in front of a car he rented to attend his girlfriend's birthday party in Dhekiajuli, Assam, that read "District Magistrate."
He also deceived the driver by promising to pay him while he was on the job.
"I took him to a birthday party and he told me he will stay there. I was asked to go back and he called me again and I took him to many areas. My overall oil expenses were around Rs. 5000," said the driver.
Biswajit Dutta, the accused, was arrested by Chinamara police yesterday after claiming to be the magistrate of Titabar at Chinamara police station.
"As per the information, he visits the PS and takes photos of him and tries to establish the links with the police so that he can blackmail shopkeepers later who violate lockdown protocols and take money from them," said an official from the Chinamara PS to media.
Dutta has a history of perpetrating acts of this nature. He claimed to be a Juvenile Lawyer and a member of the District Child Protection Service. During the first lockdown in 2020, he pretended to be a doctor and even sold tobacco items.
The inquiry is still ongoing, and more information is expected soon.
The government of Assam, due to the massive spike in the cases of the novel coronavirus has issued a new SOP 16th of May onwards which places several restrictions in the state. All shops and commercial establishments have to shut down by 11 AM and curfew has been imposed from 12 PM onwards every day. A total ban on the movement of people has been imposed from 12 noon to 5 AM daily.
Assam on Wednesday has reported 6,143 fresh cases of the novel coronavirus taking the total active caseload to 48,390. 89 COVID-19 induced fatalities have been reported in the last 24 hours taking the total death toll in the state to 2,433.
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