Ara/Patna: In a shocking case of impersonation and fraud, Bihar Police have arrested a conman who allegedly posed as the Director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and attempted to influence Bhojpur District Magistrate Tanay Sultania over the phone. The accused has been identified as Abhishek Bhopalka alias Abhishek Agarwal, a resident of Buddha Colony in Patna.
According to police, the accused was arrested from Patna following a technical investigation. Cash amounting to Rs 2.61 lakh and a mobile phone were recovered from his possession. During interrogation, he confessed to the crime and has been sent to judicial custody.
The incident dates back to April 27, 2026, when the Bhojpur DM received a WhatsApp call from an unknown number. The caller claimed to be the ED Director from Delhi and allegedly tried to exert pressure regarding departmental matters. Suspecting foul play, Rohit Kumar, a staff member at the DM’s office, lodged an FIR at Nawada police station on April 28.
Following the complaint, a joint team of the Special Task Force (STF) and local police launched a probe. The accused kept changing locations to evade arrest but was eventually tracked down in Patna’s Kotwali area and apprehended.
Police investigations revealed that the accused is a habitual offender and has previously impersonated senior officials to mislead people. In 2022, he allegedly posed as the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court and called the then Director General of Police S.K. Singhal, attempting to influence administrative decisions in favour of a police officer. The case was later investigated by the Economic Offences Unit (EOU), which had arrested him. He was granted bail by the Patna High Court in that case.
Investigators said the accused used fake SIM cards and posed as senior officials from central agencies to target IAS and IPS officers. He allegedly attempted blackmail and interference in transfer and posting matters. Several cases of extortion and fraud are already registered against him in Patna and Bhojpur.
Police officials added that Abhishek has a history of similar offences dating back several years. He was earlier arrested in 2018 and sent to Tihar Jail. In previous cases, he allegedly impersonated officials, including posing as a minister’s aide, to extract money and favours from senior officials.
In the present case, an FIR has been registered at Nawada police station under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the IT Act, including charges related to extortion, which carry a punishment of up to seven years in prison.
Further investigation is underway to determine the full extent of his network and whether more people were involved in the fraud.
