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In a shocking turn of events, a human rights worker identified as Syed Sarfaraz Ahmed (35) was arrested by police on charges of blackmailing police officers with fake complaints. The accused, who had made it his mission to extort money from law enforcement officers by filing false complaints, finally met his match when his tactics were exposed.
Syed Sarfaraz Ahmed’s modus operandi involved entering police stations under the guise of human rights workers with politeness, engaging with officers and staff, and then targeting accused individuals held in custody. He would initiate conversations with these detainees, introducing himself and gaining their trust. Once he learned about the details of the cases against them, Syed would file complaints with the State Human Rights Commission, falsely accusing the police of illegally detaining the suspects. He would then demand money from the police in exchange for withdrawing these fabricated complaints.
This scheme was reportedly successful in several police stations, where Syed managed to extort money by exploiting the system. However, his luck ran out on July 24 when he attempted to blackmail the Shivajinagar police.
On that day, the Shivajinagar police arrested Mohammad Irshad in a case registered under the Arms Act. Seyd, who visited the police station, spoke with Irshad after politely speaking with police officers at the station, claiming he was the relative of the accused. After gathering information about the crime, he complained with the state Human Rights Commission, claiming that Irshad was illegally detained. He then approached the police inspector at Shivajinagar station, demanding Rs 50,000 to retract the complaint.
The police, growing suspicious of Syed’s tactics, set a trap. They agreed to his demand but offered to pay only Rs. 25,000 upfront. When Syed arrived to collect the money, he sensed the police’s intentions and managed to escape. However, his freedom was short-lived, as the police eventually apprehended him.
During his interrogation, it was revealed that Syed had no connection with the arrested accused, Irshad. He had also been involved in over 30 similar cases, where he used the same strategy to extort money from various police stations. He had lodged multiple complaints with the state Human Rights Commission against different police officers, all of which were found to be baseless.
The Shivajinagar police are now conducting a thorough investigation into Syed’s activities, uncovering the extent of his blackmailing operations. His arrest has shed light on a concerning trend of individuals attempting to manipulate the legal system for personal gain.
The police have assured that they will take stringent action against Syed and anyone involved in such activities, ensuring that baseless accusations do not hinder law enforcement officers in their duties.
The police appealed to people and organisations to provide information about the accused, who might have been blackmailed earlier by threatening in the name of the Human Rights Commission. “He used to file multiple complaints with SHRC,” a human rights official in Bengaluru told Organiser. We register complaints only after preliminary enquiry and confirming the victim is aggrieved. We never knew this accused could misuse the name of the Human Rights Commission. We appeal to people to be cautious about mischief makers who exploit them with fake identities.
“We have arrested him, Syed Sarfaraz for attempting to extort Shivajinagar police inspector”, Bengaluru east DCP B Devaraja told the Organiser. During interrogation, we found he had filed more than 30 fake complaints against police officers to blackmail them. We took him in police custody for seven days after producing him before the court. The investigation is ongoing, he added.
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