Mira Road: Sleuths of the Naya Nagar police have busted a Surat-based gang of tricksters who duped customers under the pretext of offering help in counting cash at banks. Four men have been arrested and booked under section 420 of the Indian Penal Code. Following an alarming rise in cases where people approaching banks to withdraw or deposit cash were duped by tricksters, the police stepped up vigil leading to the arrest of two tricksters identified as Vishnudas Shukla (25) and Ramkrupal Kewat (21) who were caught red handed while trying to dupe a customer at the Mira Road branch of a nationalised bank. Rounds of sustained interrogations led to the arrest of their accomplices, Ravi Sharma (30) and Rajesh Bhaskar (24).
Explaining the modus operandi of the gang, senior police inspector R K Jadhav said, “The accused would visit banks in the area and keep an eye on customers, especially senior citizens, women and gullible teenagers. Under the pretext of offering help the accused pretended to count the money and slyly slipped a few notes in the process.” The police recovered cash amounting more than Rs14,000 from the accused who have been remanded to custody. Further investigations are underway.
