A senior official of the Assam government officer allegedly used mimicry artists to imitate the voices of the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary and other senior officials to convince people that he had direct access to the top levels of government.
The accused, Debeswar Sharma, has been arrested by the Chief Minister’s Special Vigilance Cell in an alleged multi-crore cheating and corruption case. “He would make calls in front of them – purportedly to senior government functionaries. The victims allegedly believed they were hearing senior officials and were assured that their work will be done. “The victims were convinced. The alleged impersonation of the Chief Minister has also triggered a serious legal angle.
Its senior officer Rosy Kalita told NDTV the matter was reported by a businessman who approached the agency on May 30, alleging that he had been cheated of Rs 10 lakh on the promise of a government contract. He told the investigators that Debeswar Sharma had demanded Rs 10 lakh for the contract and later demanded another Rs 40 lakh.
“When the businessman became suspicious, he refused to pay more and asked for a refund of his Rs 10 lakh,” Kalita said. From the other end, a mimicry artist or members of his team replied,” Kalita said. They thought he was actually contacting senior government functionaries,” she said. “These SIM cards were brought from several third parties so he could misuse his official position and avoid detection,” Kalita said. “Impersonating a Chief Minister is a very dangerous crime,” she said.
