Fake DySP Held After 12 Years on Run in Job Fraud, Murder Bid Case
When the promised job did not materialise and the victim repeatedly sought a refund, the accused and his associates allegedly abducted him from Star Chowk in Gandhinagar on March 26, 2014.
Vijayapura: A man accused of posing as a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP), cheating job aspirants by promising police recruitment and allegedly attempting to murder one of his victims after he sought a refund has been arrested after remaining on the run for nearly 12 years.
Superintendent of Police Laxman Nimbargi identified the accused as Gyanagouda alias Jnanagouda alias Ganesh alias C. Sampath Kumar (31), a native of Varagodadinni village in Hungund taluk of Bagalkote district. He was arrested in Bengaluru by a special team of the APMC police and produced before a court.
Police said the case dates back to 2014, when Gyanagouda allegedly collected Rs 1.2 lakh from a Vijayapura resident by promising a police job for his relative. When the promised job did not materialise and the victim repeatedly sought a refund, the accused and his associates allegedly abducted him from Star Chowk in Gandhinagar on March 26, 2014.
The victim was allegedly assaulted, taken to Hulagi village near Munirabad in Koppal district, handcuffed, his legs tied, stuffed into a gunny bag and thrown into a canal in an attempt to kill him. He survived, leading to the registration of the case.
Police had arrested Gyanagouda and two others, including a woman, and filed a charge sheet. However, after securing bail, he remained absconding without appearing before the court, following which the case was classified as a Long Pending Register (LPR) case.
While on the run, another cheating case was registered against him at Talikoti police station. Police alleged that he again posed as a DSP and collected Rs 8 lakh from a Muddebihal resident after promising to secure a jailer's post for the complainant's son.
Considering the seriousness the SP constituted a special team led by PSI Basavaraj Tippareddi which traced the accused through technical surveillance while he repeatedly changed aliases, mobile phone numbers and locations to evade arrest. He was arrested in Bengaluru on July 6.
Police said Gyanagouda has been booked in about five cases since 2012, including cheating, impersonation, attempted murder and Arms Act offences registered at Muddebihal, APMC, Adarshanagar and Talikoti police stations. Nimbargi commended the investigation team for tracing the accused after years of sustained efforts.