Palakkad: The police have nabbed a 29-year-old man, Vipin Karthik, who allegedly swindled crores of rupees from several banks by claiming to be an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer.

The youth was arrested from near Thathamangalam bus stand in Palakkad by a team led by SI Sudheesh Kumar. The conman has been handed over to the Guruvayur police. The cops had arrested his mother and partner-in-crime Shyamala, 58, the other day.

Techie to IPS

Around 15 cases have been registered against Vipin Karthik at various police stations in Kerala.

The son-mother duo has reportedly been involved in fraudulent activities across the length and breadth of the state.

Depending on each place, Vipin would change his profession. At some regions, he committed fraud by claiming to be an IT professional. Vipin's gift of gab helped him in convincing people.

Feigning to be an IPS officer, Vipin had allegedly taken loan from a bank in Guruvayur.

When he told the bank authorities that he was an IPS officer, they did not doubt him. He also allegedly presented a fake salary certificate. He had made money through his earlier scams that was deposited in the bank. He furnished the bank statement. And the bank at Guruvayur did not bother to make any further enquiries.

The police have found that the mother-son duo had taken loan from various banks at Guruvayur to buy 12 cars and these were later sold off.

They had also managed to dupe a lady bank official and get hold of 97 sovereigns of gold and Rs 25 lakh.

The dupe had also arranged his wedding with a woman from Adoor. On February 16, the photo of the bride and the groom were posted at the sub-registrar office at Kottapady in Guruvaur as part of the marriage registration procedure. The job profile on this notice says that he was as ASP. Even to the woman's family, he had told the same lie. Several police officers were also invited for the wedding. Vipin is also member of a gym at Thrissur, where he had reiterated the same lie.

The police had swarmed their house at Kozhikode on Sunday and arrested Shyamala Venugopal of Thalassery in Kannur. However, Vipin had managed to give police the slip then.