Mumbai: Santacruz police register FIR against fake officers collecting Diwali donations

CCTV grabs of the fake policemen in the Dilkhush Building. PICS/SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

We are from Vile Parle police station. We are distributing clothes and food to poor children for Diwali, so please contribute and help us financially."

If a policeman comes to your doorstep with similar claims, beware - he might be a fake cop. Taking advantage of the festive season, two imposters dressed in police uniforms having fake nameplates, have been roaming the city. The duo duped a 67-year-old Santacruz resident and fled after collecting money. The complainant, Anandji Joshi, a yoga instructor, resides in Dilkhush Building along SV Road in Santacruz West. The Santacruz police have registered an FIR and are on the lookout for the accused.

According to the police, the incident occurred around 3 pm on Wednesday (October 15), when the two men dressed in police uniforms entered the building and rang the doorbell of Joshi's house. "When I opened the door, I found both men in police uniforms with nameplates. They told me they were from Vile Parle police station and were collecting money to distribute clothes and food to the poor for Diwali. They said residents upstairs had already contributed."

According to Joshi, the imposters also furnished a register showing that Urmila Merchant, a resident on the upper floor of the same building, had donated R10,000. "Believing they were real police officers, I decided to give them Rs 2000. I asked if they accepted UPI payments, and one of them handed me a scanner on his mobile. I transferred the amount, and both men left soon after," Joshi said.

He added that a few minutes later, he received a call from another resident, Bipin Shah, who informed him that the men claiming to be police officers were fraudsters and had also approached other residents in the society for Diwali donations. "We rushed to the security guard to inquire, and he told us the two men had arrived on a red motorcycle," he said.

After checking the society's CCTV footage, it was confirmed that the uniforms worn by the duo were fake. Joshi immediately lodged a complaint with the Santacruz police station. A police officer said, "We have registered an FIR against the two fake policemen and are in the process of identifying them. A case has been registered under sections 204, 205, 3(5), and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita."