Crime Branch today arrested a man who allegedly circulated an audio clip of his purported telephonic conversation with Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel by impersonating as a Police Constable.
According to Crime Branch officials, they have nabbed one Gopal Italia from Dhandhuka town of this district for allegedly impersonating as a police official and circulating the clip. Italia once served as a Police Constable.
Upon his arrest, Italia claimed he is now working as a clerk in the Prant (revenue) Office of Dhandhuka taluka after resigning as a Police Constable in 2015, said police.
"Italia was arrested on the charges of impersonating as a policeman and circulating the clip, for which, an FIR is also lodged against him," said a senior Crime Branch official.
The audio clip, which has been doing the round of social media platforms since the last few days, has a purported telephonic conversation of Italia and Patel.
In the purported clip, Italia, who identified himself as Gopal Patel and claimed to be working as a Constable with Madhavpura Police here, can be heard telling Patel that the recent ordinance to strengthen liquor prohibition law has failed to serve its stated purpose.
He purportedly told Patel the ordinance and subsequent crackdown by police on illegal activities related to liquor has only increased prices of alcohol.
When Patel asked him to work diligently to achieve the desired result of liquor law, Italia replied his seniors are not allowing him to do his duty properly.
According to Crime Branch, Italia may have done this out of mischief or to gain publicity.
"After the audio clip went viral, we lodged a case and started investigation suo motu as the person in the clip claimed to be a Constable. It seems Italia did this out of mischief or to become popular," said the official.
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