Fake Tasmac officer asks for bribe, gets jail in Chennai

CHENNAI: A tippler in distress, who impersonated as a Tasmac officer to freeload a few pegs from a liquor shop at Periyapalayam on Monday, has landed in jail.

Police said Senthil Kumar posed as an officer on inspection and demanded liquor bottles and 2,000 as bribe from a shop 40km from Chennai. A resident of Alapakkam near Porur, Kumar later told police that it was a desperate attempt to have a drink or two after he found his wallet empty. The Periyapalayam police have registered a case and remanded Senthil Kumar in judicial custody.

Employees of the Tasmac shop told police that the man introduced himself as a Tasmac officer. Showing some sheets of paper which he said were official papers, he wanted to inspect various brands. "The employees brought the liquor and the man insisted they pour out drinks in several glasses. He started sipping them. After a while he asked for full bottles of a few brands," an investigating officer said.

Later, Kumar told police that he wanted to have a drink on Monday, but didn't have enough money. He bought some sheets of paper and kept them in a folder, making it look as if they are official papers of Tasmac. He went to the Tasmac shop and told employee Murali that he was a senior officer from the head office, and that he had received several complaints from the public that the shop was selling liquor at inflated price.

If the complaints were found to be true, the employee would be sacked, he threatened. He waved the folder of blank papers, claiming that they were copies of the complaints.

Murali invited Senthil Kumar to the shop and gave him a chair. Murali asked his subordinate employees to bring some liquor for sampling and showed Kumar the tariff cards on display. After taking a few sips, Kumar demanded Durai 2,000 and some liquor to ignore the complaints and give him a clean chit.

Growing suspicious, Murali called up a Tasmac officer and asked if there was any check ordered. When he learned that there was no such inspection, he called the Periyapalayam police. A police team led by sub-inspector Padmashri went to the shop and nabbed Kumar. Police produced Kumar before a magistrate court in Uthukottai and remanded him in prison.