The VP Road police produced the accused in court and they were remanded in police custody. (Representative)The Mumbai police Saturday arrested three people, including a woman, who allegedly posed as police officers, barged into the house of a woman in Girgaon and robbed her of cash and valuables worth over Rs 7 lakh on October 14.
According to the VP Road police, the complainant Prerna Buroto, 48, is a resident of Pimpalwadi in Girgaon and a beautician by profession.
“At around 6 pm on October 14, four people, including the three arrested, came to her house. As soon as Buroto opened the door, the two women who were part of the group pushed her and they barged inside the house,” said an officer.
The four people told her that they were police officers and they came to her house as she had hidden stolen valuables inside and started searching. The complainant, her sister and their female family friend were inside the house.
“In the meantime, a local jeweller, whom the complainant had called as she wished to buy a gold coin, came to the house. The four took him inside and searched his bags when they found cash and gold ornaments with him. They threatened to arrest him for having unaccounted cash following which they escaped with the cash and other pieces of jewellery from Buroto’s house,” said assistant police inspector Amit Bhosale.
The jeweller then went to the police station to enquire when he came to know that the four had robbed them. Buroto was informed following which she went to the VP Road police station and registered a case under relevant Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections of impersonating a public servant, cheating and trespassing.
The police scanned the CCTV footage. “We managed to get some details on the suspects following which a woman, identified as Manisha Batre, was detained from Aarey colony in Goregaon,” said an investigator.
She confessed to the crime and revealed the names of two other suspects Akshay Gujare, 24, and Gautam Bhaisane, 31, who were also arrested from their respective houses in Aarey Colony.
During the interrogation, the police learned that Buroto’s female family friend who was inside the house at the time of the incident was the mastermind of the crime.
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“She knew the complainant and her family and was aware that they had lots of cash and valuables at home. Accordingly, she gave a tip-off to these four people following which a plan to rob her was hatched,” said an officer.
The VP Road police produced the accused in court and they were remanded in police custody. “We are currently on the lookout for the mastermind woman and the fourth person who had barged into the complainant’s house posing as a cop,” said an investigator.