PUNE: Impersonating a crime branch officer, a con man stole a gold chain and ring — collectively worth Rs28,000 — from a 70-year-old
Lohegaon resident.
The incident took place at 10am on Wednesday near the Santnagar petrol pump in Lohegaon.
Chandrakant Ramkrishna Parate has registered a first-information report with the
Airport police.
According to the complaint, Parate was on his way to his house when he was accosted by a man wearing police uniform and riding a motorbike.
“The suspect claimed to be an officer of the crime branch and told him that a murder had taken place in the vicinity. He advised him to remove his gold ornaments as a preventive measure. Believing the suspect to be a policeman, Parate did as he was instructed and handed over a gold chain and a ring,” inspector V T Sonde said.
“The suspect then diverted Parate’s attention under the pretext of packing the ornaments in a piece of cloth. He handed over the cloth bundle to Parate and left on his bike. On reaching home, Parate opened the bundle, saw that his ornaments missing and realized he was duped,” Sonde said.
Last October, the police had arrested two men for demanding Rs5,000 from a paan stall operator in Rasta Peth. In December 2016, Wakad police arrested two men for impersonating the police and putting up a ‘check post’ on Kalewadi road in Thergaon. The duo would stop vehicles and ‘fine’ them.
Four years ago, the police booked 10 unidentified men for impersonating Mumbai crime branch officials and robbing a woman of ornaments totally worth Rs5 lakh.
Representative image