Says celebrity gym instructor, arrested and sent to jail for allegedly fooling cops by pretending to be a policeman, a crime he claims he did not commit
Says celebrity gym instructor, arrested and sent to jail for allegedly fooling cops by pretending to be a policeman, a crime he claims he did not commit
Namedropping could get you in serious trouble, even get you arrested and jailed for con and deception, as a personal trainer to Bollywood actors, Mahendra Jhajharia, would tell you.
Jhajharia has written to the offices of the chief minister and home minister, complaining that Senior Inspector Dinesh Verma, attached to the Mumbai Traffic Police, arrested him for posing as an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, when all he did was mention that he knew an IPS officer, he alleged. But Verma arrested him for fraud and impersonation, nonetheless.
Gym instructor Mahendra Jhajharia was arrested by the traffic police
for fraud and impersonation
The incident occurred on June 22 at Prarthana Samaj in south Mumbai. Jhajharia (48), a resident of Malabar Hill, was going to meet his family doctor, Dr Yogesh Bele, around 11 pm, when he saw some policemen by the road. Curious, he asked them why they were standing guard.
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To crack down on drink driving, replied a cop. But another cop started questioning him about the U-turn he had taken to come to where the cops were standing, and an argument ensued. To end the verbal dispute, he told them that he knew some IPS officers. Listening to this, the constable saluted him and let him to go.
Later, Jhajharia met Dr Bele and they went out for ice cream. While they were returning, around 12.30 am, the same police team halted them at the same spot and started questioning them. They asked Jhajharia about his friend in the IPS. Jhajharia named the IG of Konkan Range.
But the policemen took him to Verma at VP Marg station, and said he was impersonating an IPS cadre officer. Verma then asked his officials to arrest him.
"I tried to convince Verma that I am innocent and don't drink and drive. I even touched his feet. But he abused me and ordered his officers to arrest me," said Jhajharia.
An FIR (remand copy with MiD DAY) was registered with DB Marg police and Jhajharia was arrested under Sections 170 (personating a public servant) and 420 (cheating) of IPC. His car (MH 06 AF 5900) was seized. He was produced in court and remanded to police custody. On June 29, he was released on bail.
Jhajharia has registered several complaints against Verma through his lawyer Vijay Advani. "I am surprised at the manner the policemen arrested Jhajharia, and booked him under Section 420 of IPC. I have registered several complaints against Verma. I am also going to file a writ petition against him," said Advani.
The Other Side
Senior Inspector Dinesh Verma said, "Jhajharia posed as an IPS officer and said he was inspecting the cops. A constable saluted him but the others got suspicious.
While he was returning, the police team asked for his (IPS) identity card. When he failed to produce one, the team brought him to me. I asked for his identity card.
But he touched my feet. I think he has posed as an IPS officer before. So I ordered him to be arrested. He was not drunk."
Asked why Section 420 was invoked, Verma said, "He has not committed any documental or paper fraud but he accepted the salute from the constable. It means he cheated the state government."
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