India, Oct. 11 -- A 35-year-old man from Solapur was arrested on Friday for allegedly posing as an Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer posted as the deputy secretary in Staff Selection Committee of the Central government, and duping 36 villagers from Dharashiv of Rs.2.88 crore by promising them jobs in the Income Tax department.

According to the police, the incident dates back to 2023 when the complainant Santosh Kharpude, a resident of Navi Mumbai, visited his niece in Dharashiv and learnt that several people from the village were going to meet Rathod and pay advance amount for securing a government job. "Rathod demanded Rs.10 lakh from each aspirant. He accepted Rs.4 lakh advance for assistant-level positions and Rs.6 lakh for...