The Manpada police arrested three people who allegedly posed as police officers and duped an RTO agent of Rs 1 lakh by instilling fear of the police, while one suspect remains at large. The incident took place in Dombivli, within the jurisdiction of the Manpada police station, on November 23, when three men told the agent that a case had been lodged against him with Mumbai's Cuff Parade police.
The accused have been identified as Virendra Gupta, Pandey, and Vakil, all residents of Dombivli. A case was filed by the complainant, Rameshwar Gupta, an RTO agent and resident of Amardeep Colony in Dombivli.
Virendra, who is a friend of the complainant, Rameshwar, had known him for years. Virendra hatched a plan with three other people, where three of his friends posed as policemen in civilian clothes, entered the complainant's office, and threatened him, claiming that he had allegedly issued a license without proper documents. They took him to their car, drove towards Khoni Road, demanded Rs 4 lakh, and eventually took Rs 1 lakh from him.
Ram Chopade, a police inspector from the Manpada Police Station, said, "The complainant approached the police station to verify the identity of the policemen. He narrated the entire episode. We contacted the Cuff Parade police station to verify the policemen. Following this, we learned that there were no such policemen. Subsequently, we reviewed CCTV footage from the nearby locality. Based on the footage, we identified Virendra's involvement in the crime. We formed a team and apprehended Virendra, and later, Vakil and Pandey on December 6, while one accused remains at large. We have launched a manhunt for him."
A case was filed under various sections of the Indian Penal Code. The police said the three accused were produced in court, and police custody was sought for further investigation.
