Man posing as SI cheats BJP leader Mohit Kamboj’s Mumbai firm of gold coins worth over Rs 2 lakh

According to the police, the complaint was filed by Sunil Mahadev Tambe, who has worked at Aspect Bullion and Refinery for four years. The company sells gold and silver coins and bars, both online and offline, and its office is situated in Zaveri Bazar, opposite Mumbadevi temple in South Mumbai. Tambe also delivers the goods to customers.

An officer at VP Road police station, where the First Information Report (FIR) was registered, said, “The man’s WhatsApp profile picture showed him in a police uniform which made the complainant believe his claims. The police have formed several teams to nab the suspect soon. An investigation is on.”

Confirming the incident to The Indian Express, Kamboj said, “I don’t have much details about the case, but the police are trying their best and will nab him soon.”

As per the complaint, the suspect called the company’s customer care number around 12.30 pm on Monday. Speaking in Hindi, the caller enquired about the price of gold coins. He allegedly said that he wanted two gold coins, weighing 10 grams each, and asked to deliver them to Janata Tea House, near Don Taki Police Chowki in South Mumbai. He then sent a picture of the police chowki over WhatsApp.

The company’s stock manager Chandrakant Prabhu asked Tambe to deliver the gold coins and provided him the caller’s number, the police said. Tambe reportedly reached the gate of the police chowki around 1.30 pm.

After a few minutes, the man allegedly called Tambe and asked him not to go inside the police chowki, but to wait at Janata Tea House nearby. Tambe followed the instructions. After another five minutes, the man called again and said that his senior officer had arrived, so he could not come to collect the order, but said that he will soon send a person to get it, as per the complaint.

Later, a well-built person wearing a light green T-shirt and jeans, aged between 30 and 35 years, came and said that Shinde had sent him. Tambe handed over the gold coins to this person and was told that Shinde will come and give him the money, the complaint stated. Tambe waited for at least half an hour before informing Prabhu, who reached the police chowki soon after and tried to contact the man, only to find that the mobile number was switched off, the police said.

Sensing that they had been tricked, Prabhu and Tambe went inside the police chowki and made enquiries. They found that there was no officer by the name of Sagar Shinde at the chowki, the complaint said.

They then informed Kamboj about the incident and approached the VP Road police station where a case was registered under Section 204 (personating a public servant), 318 (4) (cheating, specifically, fraudulently or dishonestly inducing someone to deliver property or consent to its retention) and 3 (5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the suspect, a police officer said.