Trio pose as BMC marshals, dupe auto passenger of ₹19.5K

The accused were identified as Amit Kulaye, 34, Sudheer Pujari, 32, and Vinod Sadar, 36, all residents of Powai

MUMBAI: Three men posing as BMC clean-up marshals allegedly stopped a 37-year-old man travelling in an auto-rickshaw in Bandra East and made him pay ₹19,500 by claiming he had been caught smoking inside the vehicle, police said. The Kherwadi police arrested the trio after tracing them to Powai with the help of CCTV footage and technical surveillance.

Trio pose as BMC marshals, dupe auto passenger of ₹19.5K

The accused were identified as Amit Kulaye, 34, Sudheer Pujari, 32, and Vinod Sadar, 36, all residents of Powai.

The incident took place around 10.45am on May 25, when complainant Jubin Shah, a Ghatkopar East resident, was travelling home. When his auto reached Hans Bhugra Junction on the Western Express Highway, near the Vakola bridge in Bandra East, two men riding a motorcycle allegedly stopped the auto.

The two claimed to be BMC employees and accused Shah of smoking inside the auto-rickshaw. They told him he had to pay a fine. When Shah asked them to show their BMC identity cards, they allegedly told him not to act smart and pointed to another man who arrived on a second motorcycle.

The third man was introduced as their boss, and the trio allegedly demanded ₹19,500 from Shah as a fine. He paid the amount through an online transaction, police said.

The accused then allegedly asked Shah to accompany them to a police station before leaving the spot. Shah later approached Kherwadi police station and filed a complaint.

After examining the CCTV footage and using technical surveillance, police identified and traced the accused to Powai. During the probe, they found that the trio had already spent part of the money.

Police seized two motorcycles and ₹10,850 from their possession. The accused were produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody.