Bengaluru: A dubious NGO from Uttar Pradesh masqueraded as a premier investigating agency in an "elaborate setup" to hoodwink the Bengaluru police top brass, officials say.
The city police's Central Crime Branch (CCB) launched an investigation after Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda received multiple letters recently from Suresh Kumar Shukla, the "national chairman" of the 'National Crime Investigation Bureau' (NCIB).
The letter announced the appointment of a 'Crime Information Officer (Social Crime Division) for Bengaluru Urban area' and requested the police chief to issue an acknowledgement, an ID card and an authorisation letter to "make things official".
The organisation was apparently trying to be a liaison between the police and the public.
Police didn't read too much into the letter initially, but red flags were raised as more started popping up.
The organisation's robust online presence — it has a website (ncib.in) and operates the X handle (@NCIBHQ) — was another red flag.
Shukla's last letter to Dayananda — sent on the "NCIB letterhead" on June 5, 2024 — was the final straw.
"I undersign this as the national chairman of the NCIB. I ensure and appoint and authorise the following as the Crime Information Officer (Social Crime Division) for the Bengaluru Urban area. These representatives are authorised to file required documents before the authority and take all necessary steps. We look forward to your full support and cooperation to our representative," the letter read.
DH has reviewed the letter.
The police chief tasked the CCB's special enquiry wing to probe the matter.
CCB investigations found that the organisation claimed to be registered with the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and had an Udyog Aadhaar number. “The organisation reportedly began its operations on May 9, 2012, and is located in UP's Gonda district,” an investigator told DH.
The CCB found out that the organisation was "fraudulent and operating without any legal authority".
While the organisation claimed to have an ISO 9000:2015 certification, no such certification showed up when investigators reached out to Integral Certification Pvt Ltd, the issuing agency. "As per our record, this certificate is not Live/Active or valid," the authority wrote to the police.
While the NCIB's documentation mentioned that its "Recertification (was) due (on) 24 June 2025", police investigations established that "it's a case of impersonation and that the public was being misguided", a source said.
Based on the CCB's complaint, the Vidhana Soudha police registered a case against Shukla and the NCIB under IPC sections related to cheating and forgery on July 25.
The case invoked the IPC because the offence occurred before July 1 when the three new criminal laws came into force.
Police are investigating if there were any cases of fraud linked with the organisation in Bengaluru. They plan to issue a notice to Shukla asking him to appear for questioning.