GUWAHATI: A man posing as the personal assistant to an officer on special duty (OSD) to the Chief Minister of Assam was apprehended by the Crime Branch on Friday, December 13 for allegedly duping government officials and petrol pump owners for personal gain.
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The accused, Rupam Das (40), a driver of a hired government vehicle used by the Joint Commissioner of P&RD Assam, Dhrubajyoti Nath, was caught after attempting to fraudulently procure fuel. On December 7, Das called SDO Civil, Kaliabor, Liza Talukdar, using a mobile number registered on Truecaller as belonging to the CM’s OSD office. He claimed to require 30 litres of fuel each for two vehicles, including one allegedly belonging to the Chief Minister's wife’s convoy.
Das also instructed the SDO to send the fuel bills to the CM’s office. However, upon verification, Talukdar discovered the claim was false and alerted authorities. Investigations revealed that the vehicle mentioned in his claim did not travel to Kaliabor on the day in question.
Further inquiries uncovered that Das frequently used this fraudulent modus operandi to obtain fuel, either for personal use or to sell for profit. He targeted government officials and petrol pump owners, falsely claiming affiliation with senior dignitaries.
Das has been booked under Crime Branch PS Case No. 16/2024 under sections 318(4), 319(2), and 316(2) of the BNS Act, 2023. The investigation is ongoing to identify the extent of his fraudulent activities.