Three cops behind the bars for abduction, robbery

The angadia, Mohammad Kajja, told the police that he had noticed one of the policemen wearing an identification card. This strengthened the investigators’ belief about the possible identity of the abductors.

On December 19, Kajia (58) was allegedly abducted from Vashi toll booth while he was seated in a bus headed to Karnataka. According to the police, Kajia was carrying Rs 1 crore that he had to deliver to a businessman in Mangalore. The policemen, posing as Crime Branch officers, boarded the bus, asked Kajia to alight and drove him away in a private car. Hours later, the accused policemen pushed Kajia out at Uran and drove away with his money, said the police.

The police said they seized Rs 14 lakh from each of the accused policemen and Rs 5.5 lakh from the Swami brothers. They are on the lookout for Raju Koli, the car driver, Kamraj Swami, another brother of the Swamis, and one Afsar, a cricket coach based in Bhatkal village in Karnataka who allegedly planned the crime.

According to the police, Bhatkal resident Altaf, who is Kajja’s neighbour, tipped off Afsar about his impending travel. Afsar in turn informed Balraj that Kajia would collect the money from Mahim and take a bus to Karnataka. The police said Afsar planned to have Kajia arrested and fled with the money.

It was allegedly Balraj who tipped off Raje, who then informed his superiors Khairnar and Sandanshiv and the latter then roped in Koli. The Swami brothers and Afsar allegedly followed Kajia on December 19 while he was in Bhendi Bazaar to book his bus ticket and on to Mahim where he collected the money. Also, it was Afsar who identified Kajia for the Swamis. As Kajia boarded a taxi to go to Chembur, they allegedly started following him, said the police.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 1) Shahaji Umap said, “The accused decided to go after the angadia because they thought he would not lodge a police complaint. They thought it was an opportunity to make easy money.”

Umap added that there were three instances, which made him believe the crime had been executed by real policemen. “First of all, they announced themselves as Crime Branch officers. Then, the complainant said he noticed the word police written in white letters on the identity card of one of the users. The accused also used a revolver to threaten the complainant. Our suspicions were convinced once we found and verified the accused’s phone numbers,” he said.

According to Umap, as an afterthought, the accused put tape on the car’s number plate before pushing the complainant out. “They thought he would note down the number,” said Umap.

Driver Koli, who got Rs 6 lakh; Afsar, who pocketed Rs 45 lakh; Kamraj Swami, who was given Rs 1 lakh; and the complainant’s neighbour Altaf are still at large. The arrested policemen have been placed under suspension. “The sub-inspectors joined the police only two years ago, while constable Raje had been posted at Trombay since 2013,” aid a senior official.