Chennai: The Abhiramapuram police arrested a person, who was posing as a ‘human rights’ journalist and seized a handcuff and walkie-talkie that were found inside his SUV car.
Police said during a vehicle check-up near RA Puram on Friday, they intercepted a SUV after finding on its front bumper a brass plate engraved with suspicious-looking claims showing the owner to be a ‘human rights journalist’, Government of India and Union Ministry of Social Justice. There was ‘G’ on the number plate, which only government vehicles must carry. There were also stickers pasted on the wind shield that showed him as a human rights’ journalist.
When the police questioned him, the man turned hostile and argued he should not be challenged because he was a journalist and associated with the Social Justice Ministry of the Government of India. When he was asked for his identity card, he slipped away leaving behind the car. The police were shocked finding a walkie-talkie and a pair of handcuffs.
Police located the ‘journalist’ through his vehicle number plate and knocked on his door at Fourth Street in Abhiramapuram. “We came to know the man’s name was Ravishankar and he used all those announcements on the car, besides an impressive visiting card he had printed for himself, to show himself as an ‘influential person’ to target industrialists and others to extract money. It was shocking that he even had a walkie-talkie and carried handcuffs to scare his victims,” said an officer at the Ahiramapuram police station. He said probe was on to find out his involvement in any criminal activities.
When contacted by Deccan Chronicle, N M Mayilvaganan, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mylapore, said the man has been arrested. “Using the number, we identified the fake journalist and arrested him on Saturday night itself. We seized the handcuff and walkie-talkie.”
When asked about increasing similar cases, the DC replied “we are intensifying vehicle check up and stern actions will be taken against those resorting to such illegal activities.”
