BETTIAH, Feb. 5 -- Police in East Champaran on Wednesday arrested a man involved in duping youth on the pretext of recruitment as police mitra from different parts of the district, superintendent of police (SP) Swarn Prabhat on said, adding that the police has also identified the mastermind behind the racket that extends up to Mumbai. "The racket has multiple layers and four teams have been constituted to conduct raids," the SP said, sharing information in a WhatsApp group comprising police personnel and media representatives. His statement came after a special investigation team (SIT) arrested a man near Chiraiya in East Champaran while he was moving around with a board identifying himself as Police Mitra Bihar Pradesh Adhyaksh on Wednesday. The SP said that the arrest was made from an area under Chiraiya police station and he is being interrogated. However, Chiraiya's station house officer (SHO) Mahendra Kumar identified the arrested person as Asfar Kamal, a resident of Deepahi village. "He was travelling in a car bearing a board reading 'Police Mitra Bihar Pradesh Adhyaksh'," the SHO said. Police Mitra is a community policing initiative in India where local citizens volunteer to assist law enforcement in maintaining public order and traffic management. The SP also shared copies of several certificates - suspected to be fake - issued to youths from Rohtas, Saran and Bhojpur districts. "The SIT is investigating the matter and will get to the bottom of it," he said. One such certificate claimed that Ravi Pandey had been appointed as a Police Mitra under Section 17 of the All India Police Mitra Act, 2007, granting him powers, privileges and immunities with effect from March 22, 2025, valid till June 26, 2025. Police said the seal and signature on the document appear to be forged. Meanwhile, one of the victims, identified as Ravi Ranjan Yadav, on Tuesday approached Kotwa police station and lodged the first complaint in the case, alleging he was cheated of money on the promise of recruitment as a Police Mitra in East Champaran. Quoting the FIR, Kotwa's station house officer (SHO) Karan Singh said Yadav in his police complaint has pointed out that he was fleeced Rs.4 lakh for his recruitment as police mitra to a man who hails from a different district of Bihar. The SHO, however, refused to reveal the identity of the accused. Earlier on Tuesday, SP Swarn Prabhat said that a non government organisation (NGO), in collusion with some individuals, allegedly extorted money from youths by falsely promising them recruitment as police mitra. A case has been registered at Kotwa police station following the complaint. "Similar complaints are now pouring in from different police stations across the district, and that the NGO and others involved in the racket have been identified, said SP without specifying the number of victims. Meanwhile, Hindustan Times contacted two youths - Ashik Kumar and Mantosh Paswan, residents of Areraj - whose identity cards described them as police mitra. They, however, pleaded innocence, claiming they had been misled. "One Ravi Ranjan who hails from Kotwa has found this identity card for me," said Mantosh Paswan, feigning his ignorance and knowledge about the man in point. "Being a son of a chowkidar, I have the privilege to visit police stations and during a visit, I came across a man who offered to appoint me as police mitra," said Paswan. Besides, he said, "No any transaction of money or anything as gratification was given. Things are being blown out of proportion." Harkishore Rai, DIG, Champaran range said the role of the involvement of any police personnel was also being probed....