Fake police inspector arrested, ornaments, vehicles worth Rs 25.33 lakh recovered
Crime Branch unit III of Pune city police have arrested a 37-year-old businessman who used to pose as police inspector in uniform and decamp with ornaments under pretext of buying them.
Police have also recovered Maruti Ertiga, Swift Dezire, Indica Vista from his possession.
The man Ravindra Mahadu Pawar, used to run lottery business in Pune and suffered huge losses. Later he shifted to Surat in Gujarat. He used to wear khaki uniform of a police inspector and dupe gullible jewellers as they would not suspect him looking at his Rayban and car. Pawar duped four jewellers in Pune, one in Jalgaon, while he has stolen three vehicles from Jalgaon, Nashik and Dhule.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) P R Patil said, “We have seized 462 gm gold ornaments, three veicles, totally worth Rs 25.33 lakhs from his possession. In Pune cases are registered against him with Khadki, Hadapsar and Bhosari MIDC police stations.”
Acting on a tip-off received by Head Constables Mahendra Pawar and Gulshilan Rangam from Crime Branch unit III, Ravindra Pawar was nabbed in Surat, Gujarat and brought here on July 21.
Police said that he used to steal vehciles after hiring them. While traveling he would ask driver to get things from shops, and he would drive away the vehicle while the driver was away. Later he would don the uniform of a police inspector and stop the vehicle infront of a jewellery shop. While sitting inside he would call the jeweller and would introduce himself as a Mumbai crime branch officer who has been recently transferred here. He would ask to see some ornaments for his wife. When the jeweller brought ornaments, he would ask for more designs. When the salesman would go inside the shop, Pawar would drive away with the ornaments. Nobody suspected him looking at his uniform.
His another modus operandi was to take salesman to any random apartment under pretext of showing ornaments to his wife. “He would ask the salesman to sit inside the car in parking lot, saying he will show the ornaments to his wife and then call him upstairs. After sometime he would ask the salesman to come upstairs. However he would come down either through lift or stairs and fled away in car,” DCP Patil further added.
Police Inspector Sunil Pawar, in-charge of crime branch unit III, said, “The accused is under police custody till July 27. Investigations are on to find out if he is involved in more such cases. We are also finding out from where he bought police uniform.”
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime I) Rajendra Joshi said, “People must check identity cards of such people as no officer does such things. We are also going to issue notices to tailors and other shopkeeprs who sell police uniforms. Under section 171 of the Indian Penal Code, it is a punishable offence for people to wear uniform of a public servant and cheat people.”
Investigation team included police inspector Sunil Takawale, Assistant police inspector Ravindra Babar, Police Sub Inspector Sudhir Sakore, ASI Sikandar Jamadar, Ashok Bhosale, Stivan Sundaram, head constables Sharad Wakse, Dinesh Shinde, Rohidas Lawande, Raju Rasge, Shivaji Rahigude, Anil Ghadge, Anil Bhosale, Nitin Tarte, Police Naik Javed Pathan, Aslam Attar, Shrikant Gangurde, Shivanand Swami, Atul Sathe, Bashir Sayyed, constables Pratik Lahigude, Sujit Pawar.
