In a startling case of deception, police in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, have arrested a 23-year-old man from Karnataka, identified as Rampur Ramesh of Raichur district, for impersonating an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer and attempting to defraud local residents.
According to DSP P. Sindhu Priya, Ramesh arrived in Nellore on June 3 with the intention of mediating a land dispute and allegedly demanded ₹2 lakh from a local resident, Venkataramana, in exchange for his “services.” When the meeting fell through, Ramesh visited the Talpagiri Ranganatha Swamy temple the next day, where he introduced himself to Executive Officer Alla Srinivasulu Reddy as an IRS officer on deputation.
Claiming to be investigating temple land matters, he requested access to official land records. Initially convinced, the EO handed over scanned documents. However, growing suspicious after further interaction, Mr. Reddy contacted authorities to verify the officer’s credentials—only to find that no such officer had been deputed to Nellore.
Acting promptly, the EO alerted the Santhapeta police, who arrested the accused near Aditya Nagar. Police recovered fake identity cards, a vehicle used to pose as a government official, and two mobile phones from his possession.
Ramesh has been remanded to judicial custody, and an investigation is underway to determine if he has defrauded others using similar methods.
