Mumbai: Robbers posing as cops held after woman complained

The Dadar police arrested a gang of three who kidnapped a woman in March this year, posing as policemen. Police said that the trio --- Rajesh Bopardekar, 45, Quaiserali Khan, 47, and Shah Mohamed Shaikh, 45 --- were seasoned at masquerading as policemen.

The Dadar police arrested a gang of three who kidnapped a woman in March this year, posing as policemen. Police said that the trio --- Rajesh Bopardekar, 45, Quaiserali Khan, 47, and Shah Mohamed Shaikh, 45 --- were seasoned at masquerading as policemen.

The incident had taken place on March 14 in Dadar (West) when Shakuntala Pawar, 40, was distributing pamphlets advertising a fitness centre. Bopardekar and Khan approached her, posing as policemen.

“While Pawar was distributing pamphlets, one accused came to her and introduced himself as a policeman. He then called another man to the spot and the duo told her that she would be fined for distributing pamphlets in public,” said Deepali Kulkarni, assistant police inspector, Dadar police station.

“She was taken to Sion in a taxi. At Sion, Shaikh was waiting with an autorickshaw. The woman was asked to sit in the autorickshaw. During the journey, she was asked to remove her valuables, which included a gold chain and earrings,” said Kulkarni. The woman was taken to Ghatkopar and then released by the trio.

Police said Pawar was in a state of shock following the incident. “Pawar’s employer asked her if she was facing any problem, in response to which she narrated the incident. They later approached us, following which a case was registered,” said Kulkarni.

Police retrieved visuals from closed circuit television cameras in the area. Using the visuals, they arrested the trio on May 26. “The accused have been conning people since 1994 and have been arrested earlier for similar incidents in the western suburbs,” said Kulkarni.