Dhenkanal, Sept 4: In a major crackdown, Dhenkanal police on Wednesday foiled a fraudulent road safety racket by arresting eight persons who were impersonating officials of the Road Safety Department and duping vehicle drivers.
According to police, the gang was intercepted near BRG Square under Motanga police limits while they were stopping vehicles, extorting money, and forcing drivers to purchase first aid kits, fire extinguishers, and reflector accessories. The accused, dressed in uniforms resembling road safety staff, posed as National Highway Department officials to mislead the public.
The arrested have been identified as Sanjay Singh (38) of Meerut, UP; Rahi Suddin (35) of Delhi; Vikash Kumar Srivastava (33) of Gopalganj, Bihar; Sibshankar Ramsingh (46) of Ghaziabad, UP; Rohit Kumar (33) of Ghaziabad, UP; Pawan Sharma (39) of Delhi; Abinash Sharma (27) of Azamgarh, UP; and Sunny Madhre (31) of Delhi.
During the raid, police seized 25 first aid kits, 12 fire extinguishers, reflector reels, jackets, torches, a drill machine, banners of Sadak Surakshya Abhijan, eight mobile phones, and cash worth ₹12,000.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the group was working under the instructions of one Md. Hussain of Bihar, believed to be the mastermind. Each member was allegedly paid ₹700 per day to carry out the fraud, while the extorted money was handed over to their leader.
Motanga PS has registered Case No. 320 dated 03.09.2025 under relevant sections of BNS. Police have launched a manhunt to nab the mastermind and trace the larger network.
Superintendent of Police, Dhenkanal, urged citizens to stay cautious and not to be misled by such fraudulent practices. “Genuine officials of Road Safety and National Highway authorities always carry proper ID cards and never collect money directly from drivers,” the SP clarified.
