Fake cops rob jeweller of ₹34 lakh near Karanjade

The jeweller was returning from Zaveri Bazaar in Mumbai to his shop in Panvel, carrying 200 grams of gold and ₹10 lakh in cash, when the incident occurred around 11:15 pm

NAVI MUMBAI: A jeweller and his staff were allegedly robbed of cash, gold and valuables worth ₹34.28 lakh by a gang of men impersonating policemen near Karanjade railway crossing late Friday night.

Fake cops rob jeweller of ₹34 lakh near Karanjade

According to the police, the jeweller was returning from Zaveri Bazaar in Mumbai to his shop in Panvel, carrying 200 grams of gold and ₹10 lakh in cash, when the incident occurred around 11.15 pm. As their car approached the Karanjade crossing, three men dressed as policemen intercepted them, claiming they had been speeding on the Atal Setu. “The accused forced the jeweller and his staff out of the vehicle at gunpoint, assaulted them with sticks, and verbally abused them before forcing them into another car,” a police officer said.

A few minutes later, when one of the staff members complained of breathlessness, the accused stopped the car, snatched their mobile phones and watches, and abandoned them near a container yard on the Atal Setu service road, the officer said.

The victims then returned to their car, parked near the crossing, and discovered that the cash and two 100-gram gold biscuits were missing, he added.

On Saturday, the jeweller approached the Panvel City police and found out that the trio had impersonated police officers to rob him. Based on the jeweler’s complaint, the police registered a case against the unidentified individuals under Sections 309 (6) (robbery), 126 (2) (wrongful restraint), 140 (3) (kidnapping), 205 (impersonating a public servant) and 3 (5) (criminal act with a common intention) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

“We are in the process of making a breakthrough in the case, following which arrests will be made,” said the senior inspector Nitin Thakare of the Panvel City police station.