A reel-life investigator had to step out of his small-screen role and assume it in reality to catch the man who allegedly cheated him of Rs 1 lakh earlier this year.

Forty-year-old Prem Kumar Tiwari, who has worked in crime series such as Crime Patrol, CID, Savdhan India, etc, said the Oshiwara police’s apathetic lethargy compelled him to investigate his own case, just as he does on TV. In fact, he claimed, cops told him to tell them if he should ever trace the accused.