THANE: Locals attacked a vehicle of police after they arrested two persons from Bhiwandi town in Maharashtra's Thane district for allegedly stealing a woman's jewellery by posing as cops, an official said on Thursday.
When the police personnel, dressed in civil clothes, caught the two accused on Wednesday evening, some locals objected to their action and attacked the private vehicle in which they were taking the accused, he said.
On November 5, the two accused, aged 23 and 26, intercepted a 53-year-old woman while she was out on morning walk in Navghar area of Mira-Bhayander Vasai-Virar police commissionerate.
The accused, who posed as policemen, told the woman not to move ahead as a murder had taken place there and police were at the spot.
They allegedly asked the woman to hand over to them the jewellery which she was wearing. The scared woman gave her jewellery to the accused, who then fled from the spot, Navghar's assistant police inspector Roshan Deore said.
Later, the Navghar police registered a complaint under relevant Indian Penal Code sections and during a probe into the case, they got to know that the accused were supposed to arrive at a place in Bhiwandi area of Thane.
Some policemen dressed in civil clothes hired a van and reached the spot on Wednesday.
After they caught the two accused and were taking them in the van, some locals objected to it and attacked the vehicle. However, the police managed to bring the two accused to the Navghar police station, the official said.
He said the 23-year-old accused had at least 12 criminal offences of robbery and theft against him.
The other accused was also involved in some criminal cases and was wanted in a case under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, he added.