The Navi Mumbai Crime Branch arrested three men for allegedly posing as police officers and robbing a gold buyer of Rs 13.25 lakh in Kharghar. The accused were caught after CCTV analysis and technical surveillance. Vehicles, cash and phones were recovered
The accused were arrested from Ghansoli and Badlapur areas
The Crime Branch of the Navi Mumbai Police has arrested three men for allegedly posing as police officers and robbing a gold buyer of Rs 13.25 lakh in Kharghar. The accused were nabbed after an intensive probe involving CCTV analysis and technical surveillance, officials said on Wednesday.
The incident took place on January 12, when the complainant and a witness were standing near a bank in Sector 20, Kharghar. The victim had come to purchase gold ornaments at a lower rate after being contacted by an agent named Raj. As the duo waited on the road, a white Ertiga car pulled up, and three men stepped out, claiming to be police officers. Officials said that the impersonators accused the victim of carrying illegal cash and forcibly seized her bag containing R13.25 lakh. They then pushed Raj inside the car before fleeing the spot. A case was registered at Kharghar police station under relevant sections of the BNS.
Following the case, the Crime Branch launched a parallel investigation and scanned CCTV footage from the crime scene and nearby areas. Officers found that the Ertiga used in the crime had a fake number plate and that the accused had also used a motorcycle during the operation. Further technical analysis revealed the involvement of eight to ten persons in the conspiracy.
Based on leads developed during the probe, police formed multiple teams and arrested two accused from Ghansoli on January 26 and another from CBD Belapur on January 27. The arrested accused have been identified as Vishal Bajirao Tupe, 35; Rohit Rajaram Shelar, 26; and Manoj Ankush Bhandari, 37, all residents of Navi Mumbai and Thane district.
Officials said that following their arrest, the police recovered a white Maruti Ertiga worth Rs 15.14 lakh, a motorcycle, mobile phones, cash, and other incriminating material. Investigators also found that the accused have multiple criminal cases registered against them across multiple police stations, involving cheating, robbery, and criminal conspiracy.
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