Chennai:
'Fake' is a big industry in Indian cities. But while fake medicine or fake mark sheets are common place, a bunch of conmen took the art of faking to quite another level. They ran a fake police station and a fake court in the heart of Chennai.
The modus operandi was to target innocent victims looking for legal succour. Pretending to help them, the gang would extort money from the other party threatening police and legal action. The gang had even appointed inspectors and a judge to fool gullible people.
The racket was busted with the arrest of two members of the gang. Ten others are absconding.
The police are red-faced. "When greed takes over man anything may happen...But whenever it comes to our notice we act ruthlessly," offered Shakeel Akther, Additional Commissioner of Police, Chennai. But the Chennai Police are hard put to explain the sheer audacity with which the gang went about its business in the city.
And while the police look for excuses, canny politicians have smelt another opportunity to bash the ruling party. In the recent past, a fake medicine scam, a fake food scam and a fake mark sheet scam have rocked the state. This one is too bizarre to let go of.
"One family is making all of us fools," said J Jayalalithaa, AIADMK chief.
The Chief Minister, M Karunanidhi could only say, "We have formed a committee to probe and take action."