Mumbai: Two persons posing as BMC marshals duped a 75-year-old man from Sewri and took away his gold chain worth Rs 40,000. The two claimed that the civic body has refrained citizens from wearing gold amidst the pandemic and asked him to remove his chain, as he removed the gold chain they tricked him and escaped.
According to the police, the incident took place last week when a person named Narayan, a Sewri resident, was going to a fish market nearby. Near the Arab hotel in Sewri, two persons waiting behind truck called him and asked him about whether he had done corona test or not. When Narayan asked about their identity they claimed that they are BMC marshals.
The duo then asked him whether he was wearing any gold ornament. Upon seeing a gold chain they told him to remove the chain and claimed that BMC had refrain citizens from wearing the gold ornaments amidst the pandemic and asked him put it in his pocket. The duo then took his chain wrapped it in a paper and put it in his pocket and left, said the police.
After a while Narayan felt suspicious and checked the paper wrap and found small rocks instead of gold chain. Realising that he had been cheated, he approached the police. Following the complaint, the RAK Marg police registered an offence under section cheating (420) and personating a public servant (170) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
“We are trying to trace the culprit by checking past records and with the help of CCTV camera, however, people should be aware that many people are being duped by conmen posing as police or government officials. Whenever 'official' asked them to remove their gold ornaments for any reason people should realises that they are cheaters and alert us,” said a police officer.
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