New Delhi, Nov 1 (IANS): The Delhi police have arrested a man for impersonating as a cop and issuing fake challans for violating Covid-19 norms, officials said on Sunday.

The accused was held after a security guard of a society in Ashok Vihar raised the alarm.

Police said that the guard had stated that on the intervening night between 29 and 30 October, the accused Upender came with his friend in a car and introduced himself as a Delhi police officer. He then wrote the name and mobile number of the persons present there at the society gate and collected an amount from them on the pretext of violation of Covid-19 norms.

Meanwhile, when the security guard enquired him of his name and rank, Upender drove away from the spot. The guard then informed the local police about the incident.

"During interrogation the accused disclosed that he got involved in extorting money from people by impersonating himself as cop. He had bought his uniform from Mukherjee Nagar and as due to the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic, challan operation was being initiated by the Delhi police, so he took the benefit of the same and started extorting money from people," said Vijayanta Arya, DCP NorthWest.