Misinformed rookie criminals held for kidnapping, robbing private firm employee of ₹7 lakh

Two rookie criminals posing as policemen kidnapped and robbed a private firm employee of ?7 lakh in Mumbai. They were arrested by LT Marg police.

Mumbai: Two rookie criminals, posing as policemen, carried out kidnapping of private firm employee and robbing him of ₹7 lakh, as they were misinformed that he was carrying cash without relevant documents. They believed this would prevent the victim from registering a case. However, this proved to be their undoing as the employee registered a complaint and the two were arrested by LT Marg police.

HT Image

According to the police, the incident happened when the complainant, Swapnil Pote, was on his way to his house in Bandra from Kalbadevi. The duo, a studio attendant, Rahul Pednekar, 40, and a former marketing executive, Raj Kamble, 41, posed as policemen and abducted him. Kamble had a debt of ₹2 lakh, therefore they decided to carry out the criminal act, the police said.

“The criminals had a feeling and were told that usually people, who carry cash don’t register offences as they don’t have proper documents. However, as the complainant had all the relevant documents, he registered an offence with the police. They are first-time offenders and have no criminal record,” said a police officer.

“The men posing as policemen had specific information and stopped him near the BMC office on Kalbadevi Road. The duo asked the private employee to sit in their cab and they drove towards Reay Road railway station and took the ₹7 lakh from him. They told him they were depositing the cash in the commissioner office and whenever he has proper papers, he can come and take back the money,” the police officer said.

After getting down from the cab, when Pote spoke to his friends about the incident, they told him most likely he was cheated by conmen posing as police personnel. Pote then informed about the incident to his employer and approached the police.

“We analysed CCTV footage and learnt that after dropping Pote at Reay Road, the accused had taken the cab till Sion. We traced Kamble to Chunabhatti and Pednekar to Mankhurd,” the police said.