Mumbai Police Nab Five for Impersonation and Rs 5 Lakh Theft

Mumbai police apprehended five individuals for allegedly impersonating crime branch officers and stealing a man's bag containing Rs 5 lakh. The incident took place at a Canara Bank's cash machine in Khar West. The accused were tracked through technical inputs and CCTV footage, leading to their arrest and partial recovery of the stolen money.

The Mumbai police have arrested five individuals for allegedly impersonating crime branch officers and cheating a man out of Rs 5 lakh, an official said on Friday.

The incident occurred on Sunday morning when the victim was depositing cash at a Canara Bank machine in Khar west. Two men, posing as crime branch officials, approached him and insisted on questioning him. They coerced him into sitting in a car where three more accomplices were waiting.

After driving around the western suburbs and interrogating the victim, the perpetrators took his bag containing Rs 5 lakh and dropped him in the Santacruz area before fleeing. The victim filed a complaint at the Khar police station, prompting an investigation. Police tracked one suspect, Sandesh Maladkar, to Sindhudurg district through technical inputs and CCTV footage. His interrogation led to the arrest of four others—Prafulla More, Vikas Surve, Chetan Gouda, and Darshan Yagnik—in Andheri.

DCP Raj Tilak Roushan confirmed that 60-70% of the stolen cash was recovered. The suspects also face prior charges, and additional sections related to organized crime may be added. All defendants have been remanded in police custody pending further investigation.

(With inputs from agencies.)