An inter-state gang of thugs was busted with the arrest of one member who impersonated senior government officials of different states and extorted money from contractors and businessmen, police said Sunday. Acting on a tip-off that a Bihar-based criminal was living in Gadabasa area of Bagbera police station with fake identity and impersonating senior officials of different states and extorting businessmen a police team was constituted to conduct raid and apprehend the culprits, Senior Superintendent of Police, Anoop Birtharay said.

Addressing a press conference here, Birtharay, who was accompanied by the Superintendent of Police (City) Prabhat Kumar, said the police team conducted raid in Gadabasa on Saturday and arrested one Ranjan Kumar Mishra, a native of Sindhia Ghat of Gaya in Bihar. Birtharay said Ranjan had collected Rs 25 lakh from two Bhopal-based contractors recently. Birtharay said the gang members used to supply mobile numbers and other personal details of big businessmen, contractors and engineers to Ranjan.