Police cap in car helps trace Mumbai mechanic who posed as officer; held

Fahad Farid Khan allegedly confronted traffic personnel during a towing operation and failed to produce documents for the numberless vehicle, police said.

A 37-year-old car mechanic was arrested for allegedly impersonating a police officer after police found a blue police cap on the dashboard of a numberless car during a towing operation on Saturday, police said.

Police seized the car and blue police cap as part of their investigation into the alleged impersonation. (Praful Gangurde / HT Photo /Representational)

The arrest followed an altercation in which the accused, Fahad Farid Khan, allegedly confronted and misbehaved with traffic personnel who had arrived to tow the suspicious vehicle parked outside the White House building on Dr V Raghunath Marg.

Numberless car with police cap raises suspicion

According to the police, constables Nikhilesh Hanumant Sable and Sangve were patrolling Dr V Raghunath Marg when they spotted a suspicious white car parked outside the White House building. The car had no number plate, its windows were covered and a blue police cap was clearly visible on the dashboard, police said.

When asked about the police cap and the absence of a number plate, Khan allegedly gave vague replies and could not produce documents for the vehicle. Police then established that Khan was not a police officer.

Police suspect cap was used to intimidate others

Police suspect Khan had placed the blue cap on the dashboard to pass himself off as a cop and intimidate members of the public and traffic personnel.

The Bandra police arrested Khan and registered a case against him. The car and the police cap were seized as part of the investigation. “We are now finding out whether Khan owned the car or was robbed,” a Bandra police officer said.