A Hyderabad man is behind bars after a weeks-long charade where he donned a police uniform to intimidate and extort unsuspecting residents.
Police took the suspect into custody late Wednesday evening following a series of complaints from the city’s outskirts. Investigators say the man—identified by local authorities as a 34-year-old resident of the Malakpet area—had been patrolling busy intersections and residential neighborhoods, stopping commuters under the guise of conducting routine traffic checks.
The motive was simple: money.
He didn’t just stop vehicles; he demanded documents and issued “fines” for non-existent violations. Those who questioned his authority were met with threats of arrest or vehicle impoundment. For many, paying a few hundred rupees on the spot seemed safer than risking a trip to the station.
“He had the uniform, the belt, and even a fake badge,” said the investigating officer. “He was so convincing that people didn’t think to ask for his ID card until he started asking for exorbitant amounts.”
The racket unraveled when a local shopkeeper, suspicious of the man’s aggressive demeanor and lack of a patrol vehicle, alerted the actual police. When a real patrol unit arrived on the scene, the suspect attempted to flee on foot but was quickly apprehended.
During the subsequent search, officers recovered a counterfeit police ID card and a stack of forged fine receipts.
Beyond the immediate charges of impersonation and extortion, authorities are now investigating how long the man managed to operate without being detected. While he remains in custody, police are urging anyone who may have been stopped by him to come forward.
For now, the suspect faces charges that could lead to significant jail time—a reality far removed from the authority he spent weeks pretending to wield.
