The case falls under the City Kotwali police station area. According to police, the accused, identified as Punni Lal Anant, a resident of Bilaspur, posed as a CAF jawan and claimed to have strong connections with senior officials. He targeted women seeking employment and demanded up to ₹4 lakh for arranging government jobs.

Police officials said the accused approached a 39-year-old woman, Seema Bai, a resident of Jhargaon, whom he met at the Collectorate premises on August 28, 2025. Wearing a police uniform, he introduced himself as a CAF constable from Bilaspur district and offered to secure her a job in the Fisheries Department. Influenced by his appearance and claims, the woman trusted him.

The accused later told her over the phone that the job would cost ₹4 lakh and that an appointment letter would be issued soon. The victim paid him ₹2 lakh in cash. He also lured her niece with an offer of a data entry operator job and collected her mark sheets, caste certificate, Aadhaar card, and other documents, while demanding an additional ₹3 lakh.

After some time, the woman discovered that the accused was not a police personnel but a fraud using a fake uniform to cheat people. She immediately lodged a complaint at City Kotwali police station on December 8, 2025.

Following the registration of the case under Sections 318(2) and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the accused went into hiding and frequently changed locations. Acting on the directions of Senior Superintendent of Police Shashi Mohan Singh, a special police team was formed. Based on technical evidence and informer inputs, police traced the accused to his native village Tada Darrikapa in Kota police station area of Bilaspur district.

The police conducted a raid and arrested him, later bringing him to Jashpur for questioning. During interrogation, the accused confessed to the crime. Police recovered several documents collected from victims, including mark sheets, caste certificates, and Aadhaar cards.

After completing legal formalities, the accused was produced before the court and sent to judicial custody. Further investigation is underway to identify other possible victims.

SSP Shashi Mohan Singh appealed to the public to remain vigilant and warned against paying money to anyone promising government jobs, assuring that strict action will be taken against such fraudsters.