Bengaluru ‘fake cop’ robbery: 4 arrested, Rs 52.9 lakh in gold and cash recovered

According to the police, the plan for the robbery was hatched about two years ago, with Nagendra obtaining information about the victim through a friend. Nagendra, who was out on parole from Hindalga Central Prison in Belagavi, executed the plan with the help of the other accused. Zameer reportedly operated from Shivamogga prison, coordinating parts of the crime through a mobile phone.

Ahmed and Nagendra, who posed as police officers, had rented a police uniform from a shop in Shivajinagar, allegedly claiming it was for a drama, which they later used during the robbery.

The case came to light after H Hombalaiah, 53, an electrical contractor residing in BEL Layout under Byadarahalli police station limits on Magadi Road, filed a complaint on February 16. According to the complaint, Hombalaiah and his wife were at home when the doorbell rang. CCTV footage showed a man dressed in a police uniform outside. Believing him to be a genuine officer, they opened the door.

The police said the man introduced himself as a sub-inspector and claimed he needed to check the house CCTV. Soon after, he called another accomplice inside. The duo allegedly locked the main door, threatened the couple with a knife, tied their hands, and stole gold ornaments, cash, and two mobile phones before fleeing. Babajaan, a cab driver, reportedly provided the car used in the robbery, which was later linked to a sandalwood theft case.

The police secured custody of Nagendra on February 20 after confronting him with CCTV and technical evidence. He initially misled officers, but later confessed, leading to the arrest of the other suspects. Acting on their information, officers recovered 314 grams of gold from a friend in Shivamogga and 115 grams of gold coins along with Rs 10 lakh in cash from a house in RR Nagar.

Hombalaiah has also filed a separate complaint alleging that Nagendra extorted money from him earlier. About two years ago, he began receiving WhatsApp calls from a person identifying himself as Nagendra, who allegedly threatened to kill Hombalaiah’s son if Rs 5 lakh was not paid. Fearing for his family, Hombalaiah allegedly handed over Rs 3 lakh in cash and later transferred Rs 1 lakh, with the total extortion reportedly amounting to around Rs 10 lakh.

“We have arrested four persons in the fake cop robbery case and recovered the stolen gold and cash. One of the accused had also earlier extorted money from the victim, and we are examining that complaint as part of the investigation,” a senior officer from the North West division told The Indian Express.

The police are now probing those who provided Nagendra with information about the victim and possible abetment in the crime.