Bhubaneswar: The Kharavel Nagar police on Friday arrested a man for allegedly impersonating a National Investigation Agency (NIA) officer and sexually harassing a woman. The accused, identified as Asish Reddy, 45, a resident of Delhi, is currently under verification. Police seized a fake NIA identity card, a vehicle with a red beacon bearing a Ministry of Home Affairs plate, and a T-shirt emblazoned with the NIA name and logo.
Incident Details
The case took a dramatic turn after a woman from West Bengal lodged a complaint at Kharavel Nagar police station alleging gang rape by five men inside a vehicle on the Puri-Konark marine drive road on April 27. During the investigation, Reddy appeared at the station on Thursday, introduced himself as an NIA officer, and urged police to expedite the probe. His suspicious behavior prompted senior officers to alert the NIA’s Bhubaneswar office, which confirmed he was not associated with the agency. Police also seized two sharp-edged weapons from his vehicle.
False Allegation Revealed
The case took another turn when the complainant revealed that she was not gang-raped and that Reddy had instigated her to file the false case. “She claimed ignorance of his motives and denied knowing about his false claim of being an NIA officer,” a police officer said. “Now, she has lodged a complaint against Reddy for sexually harassing her. We have registered two cases against him — one for cheating and impersonation, and another for sexual harassment. We suspect he may have duped several people by posing as an NIA officer. His antecedents are being verified,” said police commissioner S Dev Datta Singh.
Police are investigating whether Reddy has a criminal history and if he has targeted other victims. The vehicle and other seized items are being examined for further evidence.
