Mumbai: Serial conman targeting temple-goers nabbed at Igatpuri station

The accused, Anwar Abdul Hamid Shaikh, in custody of the Andheri police. PIC/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The Andheri police have arrested a 50-year-old man who duped more than 40 senior citizens across Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Nashik, and Igatpuri using clever tricks and fake identities. The accused, Anwar Abdul Hamid Shaikh, 50, a resident of Sonaji Chawl in Qureshi Nagar, Kurla West, was traced and apprehended at Igatpuri Railway Station. The accused used common names such as Shyam, Ram, Ganesh, Mahesh, Ramesh, and Suresh to gain the trust of elderly victims.

A police officer explained the modus operandi saying, "The accused targeted senior citizens who regularly visited temples. He would follow them and initiate a conversation. Claiming to run a cutlery business and now owning a showroom, he would tell the victim that he wanted to donate money to God. He would hand over Rs 5000 to the victim and request them to offer it at the temple."

"He would then stop the victim again, asking them to perform a ritual involving gold, claiming he didn't have any himself. He persuaded the victim to use their own gold, asking them to touch it to the currency for a blessing. The accused then wrapped the cash and gold in a handkerchief, claiming it should be opened only at the temple. In reality, he smartly replaced the valuables with paper and disappeared," the officer added.

A similar incident occurred on July 15 in Andheri, when a senior citizen on his way to the temple was approached by the accused, who introduced himself as ‘Ram' and claimed they had met earlier at a cutlery shop. He repeated the same story and managed to steal a 28-gram gold chain using his deceptive technique. PSI Kishor Parkale, the investigating officer, rushed to the scene and reviewed CCTV footage. However, the accused's face was not clearly visible as he was carrying an umbrella.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Shashikant Bhosale of the Andheri Division said, "The accused had escaped from Mumbai but frequently returned. We traced him to Igatpuri railway station. Our investigation revealed he is involved in more than 40 similar fraud cases across the city. He was released from jail in December 2024 after being arrested for similar offences." "We found that he is wanted in multiple cases registered at police stations in Andheri, Vakola, Sion, Kasturba, Vasai, and Dadar," ACP Bhosale added.