Bail for man posing as GSPCB official

Panaji: A Mapusa court conditionally granted bail to 30-year-old Suraj Vivek Pendse, who was arrested for impersonating an official of the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB), and stealing Rs 9.6 lakh through cash and GPay.

He allegedly stated that the collector’s office had directed him to conduct checks, and cheated the restaurant of the money.During the investigation, he allegedly confessed that he impersonated a GSPCB official and cheated innocent people on a number of occasions. There are four crimes registered at various police stations.“There is nothing on record to show that the accused person was convicted by any court. The sections against the accused person are for cheating and for committing criminal breach of trust. He was also accused of cheating by personation,” stated JMFC, D court, Mapusa, Akshata A Kale.The court added that any apprehensions can be taken care of by imposing conditions on him to prevent him from committing any further crime.