Two Brothers Impersonating ED Officials Held for Rs 5 Crore Extortion Attempt in Patna

Patna: Two brothers have been arrested in Patna for allegedly impersonating senior Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials and using the name of a retired IAS officer to extort large sums of money from influential individuals.

The accused, identified as Ranjeet Kumar and Rajesh Kumar, residents of Sultanpur in Danapur, are accused of attempting to extort Rs 5 crore from a well-known doctor based near Saguna Mod. The duo had reportedly called the doctor on April 25, posing as retired IAS officer Karu Ram, and threatened him with an imminent raid.

According to police sources, the brothers were running a long-standing racket in which they posed as ED officials to threaten and extort money, often invoking the name of Karu Ram to add credibility. Investigations suggest that they have duped at least 10 individuals using similar tactics.

The Economic Offences Unit (EOU), which registered the case on Friday, coordinated with the cyber crime unit to track down the suspects. They were arrested shortly after, and two keypad phones, one smartphone, and a fake press card were recovered from their possession.

During interrogation, the brothers admitted to multiple frauds and detailed how they selected targets based on their financial profiles and social standing. “They would use official-sounding language and pressure tactics to convince victims of impending action unless payments were made,” a police official involved in the case said.

Officials added that the fraud had been operational for an extended period, and steps are now being taken to attach the duo’s property. Interrogation is ongoing, and further arrests have not been ruled out.

The case has once again highlighted the vulnerability of individuals to impersonation scams and the need for greater public awareness around verifying the identities of officials making such threats.