BHUBANESWAR: A retired electrician who was impersonating as a Vigilance officer walked into a trap after making an attempt to extort a builder, here on Wednesday. Basant Patnaik, who worked with CESU, was waiting at a restaurant where the deal was to be struck with the builder when the Vigilance sleuths arrested him. The restaurant, where the arrest was made, is located close to Bhubaneswar Division of State Vigilance. In fact, Basant used to frequent that joint and sometimes duped people there itself. Sources said, posing as DSP of Vigilance, he had approached a real estate promoter AJ Patnaik asking him for a plot at Malipada, near Khurda. He also had asked for a sum of Rs 50,000. When the matter was brought before the anti-corruption wing, a trap was laid and the realtor agreed to meet him. The restaurant was fixed as the rendezvous point. On Wednesday morning, Basant was waiting for the builder over breakfast when a team of Vigilance arrived and took him into custody. During investigation, it was revealed that Basant used to drop in at the Vigilance office frequently. “He had introduced himself as a DSP of Crime Branch. After that on many occasions, he would land at the Bhubaneswar Division office, park his vehicle and walk out,” sources said. By adopting this method, he gave others an impression that he was a Vigilance officer. His physical personality also worked in his favour. He is believed to have conned many people in the past in this fashion.
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