5 CISF personnel arrested in Bengal for heist disguised as IT officers, inspired by ‘Special 26’

Bidhannagar Police have arrested five active CISF personnel for allegedly impersonating income tax officers and executing a heist at Chinar Park on March 18. The accused include an inspector, a head constable, two male constables, and a female constable who had been deployed at RG Kar Medical College for four months after the rape and murder of a doctor last August. Three civilians suspected of aiding them have also been arrested. All suspects are currently lodged at Dum Dum correctional home and will undergo a Test Identification (TI) parade on Friday.

According to DCP (Airport) Aishwariya Sagar, the robbery was linked to a property dispute between complainant Vinita Singh and her stepmother, Aarti Singh. Aarti allegedly collaborated with a CISF inspector stationed at NTPC Farakka to organize the crime. The accused, posing as income tax officers, arrived at Vinita’s residence in two vehicles, seized jewelry and Rs 3 lakh in cash, and confiscated all mobile phones before confining the family members in the dining hall. They did not provide any identification or a seizure list and also took the home's CCTV recorder before fleeing.

Police tracked the suspects through CCTV footage, which showed them arriving in a pickup van and a motorcycle. Investigators identified and arrested driver Shiv Mangal Gan in the South Port area, who revealed that he had been hired by a middleman. This led to the arrest of Dipak Rana in New Alipore, who disclosed that he was working under instructions from the CISF inspector. Based on this information, police located and arrested the inspector in Farakka, who later admitted that four of his subordinates were involved. The remaining suspects were arrested from the Port area and Durgapur.

The arrested CISF personnel have been suspended and may face dismissal if found guilty. Authorities continue to conduct raids to recover the stolen valuables. The investigation is ongoing, and police are verifying whether the accused were involved in similar incidents. Officials have not disclosed the identities of the arrested personnel due to the upcoming TI parade.