He identified himself as an envoy of Oman. And sought protocol and services from cops everywhere he went. The police finally busted him in Uttar Pradesh.
A black Mercedes car, one identity card and 46 visiting cards were recovered from his possession at the time of his arrest from UP Gate in Ghaziabad.
The man, who has been identified as Krishna Shekhar Rana, 66, is a resident of Amar Colony in Delhi.
The fake envoy has been charged under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Trans Hindon Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Nimish Patil said.
According to DCP Patil, Rana was a professor of Zoology at Agra. He also owns Krishna College of Science and Technology in Agra and a resort in Rajasthan.
After retirement, the accused was the Appraisal Authority in the Union Environment Ministry from 2015 to 2018, where his job was to give environmental clearances. The police have not yet received a reply from the Environment Ministry.
The police officer said during interrogation, the accused claimed to be the vice chancellor of four universities.
"KS Rana, who claimed to be the High Commissioner of Oman, has been arrested. Upon interrogation, it became clear that he used to work for an NGO, India GCC Trade Council. He was a trade commissioner but misused his position and identified himself as a High Commissioner," said officer Patil.
Asked how the cops busted him, the officer said they found the documents submitted by him for police protocol services to be suspicious.
He sent a letter to Ghaziabad Police for protocol services. And protocol services were extended to him. The documents submitted by him were found to be suspicious. Based on that, he was questioned and he confessed that he was a trade commissioner and not a High Commissioner," said the officer.
To get protocol services and the government privileges was his motive, said the officer.
(With inputs from Pintu Tomar)
