Six arrested for ‘posing’ as policemen to dupe people

According to the police, the accused allegedly duped more than 10 persons using similar modus operandi. “We have received four complaints in Thane,” a police officer said.

Those arrested are Ejas Khan (54), who is the mastermind, Shakti Singh (39), Rajan Tevar (50), Dilip Thakur (47), Pravin Kambli (54) and Lalitkumar Purohit (41).

Explaining their modus operandi, an officer said that Khan, through his accomplices, would spread the word that he could double the money of people interested in investing with him. “In one case, a victim in Thane came to know about the ‘financial deal’ from a friend after Purohit spread the word about it,” the officer said.

The complainant Sanjay Thakur wanted to invest Rs 2.5 lakh and approached Purohit. Subsequently he got in touch with Khan, the police said.

At around 4 pm on March 22, Thakur was to meet Khan. “Khan would always tell the victims to come alone,” the officer said. Accordingly Thakur went to meet him alone near Amar Mahal junction.

Khan took Thakur near the Eastern Express highway in Chembur. “Soon after Khan took the cash from Sanjay Thakur, his accomplices Singh, Tevar, Dilip Thakur and Kambli reached the spot in a car and started abusing him in Marathi,” said Assistant Police Inspector Rahul Waghmare.

They claimed that they were policemen after which they started threatening and beating Khan in front of the complainant. “The victim got scared and ran away from the spot, while the four men posing as policemen forced Khan to sit in the car under the pretext of arresting him and escaped with the complainant’s Rs 2.5 lakh,” the officer said. The victim went home and shared his ordeal with his friends and relatives. He approached the Tilak Nagar police the next day.

“There were no CCTV cameras near the spot but the complainant said in his statement that there was no numberplate on the rear side of the vehicle,” said an officer.

The police then started looking for a car that did not have a numberplate on the back side during which they spotted a vehicle near Sion and managed to get the registration number from the plate that was fixed on the front side.

“Through the registration number, we reached the owner of the car and from him, we came to know that Singh had taken the vehicle on rent to commit the crime,” the officer added.

On Wednesday, the police managed to trace the accused and arrested them.

The police said they have been booked under relevant sections of cheating, criminal breach of trust and impersonating a public servant. “The accused were produced before court and remanded in police custody,” said an officer, adding, “We have learnt that they duped more than 12 people in the past but only four have lodged a complaint against them. We are trying to locate the other victims.”