A real policeman could be involved with a gang posing as cops and cheating a businessman of Rs23 lakh.
A real policeman could be involved with a gang posing as cops and cheating a businessman of Rs23 lakh.
This is what the police suspect after interrogating a three-member gang, one of them is the nephew of the businessman, over a cheating case. The police are yet to arrest the prime conspirator, who they believe is a known police informer. His arrest can provide leads about the involvement of real policemen.
“In August, six men posing as crime branch officials went to the house of hotelier Mohammed Hashim Sheikh’s at Dindoshi in Malad (East) and searched his house. They took ornaments worth over Rs18 lakh and Rs5 lakh cash, alleging it to be unaccounted money,” said a police officer.
Sheikh, 48, who runs a hotel in Vakola, Santa Cruz (East), had sold his ancestral properties in Bihar and had kept the cash in his house.
“They also disconnected his phone lines and told him that they would inform him later which police station to go to,” said J Hargude, assistant commissioner of police. Sheikh did not get any call from them. “Terrified on seeing the policemen take away his cash and ornaments, Sheikh left for Bihar,” said a crime branch officer.
He had been getting abusive SMSes from someone named Gaibul Hassan since May. “He had ignored it, thinking it to be a prank by someone,” said the officer.
After he returned recently, he again started getting abusive SMSes from the same person. He then lodged a case in the Dindoshi police station.
Based on telephonic records, the unit XII of the crime branch on Friday arrested Sheikh’s nephew Salman Khan, 22, and two of his accomplices — Gaibul Hassan Khan, 36, and Abdul Sheikh, 34.
“During interrogation, Khan said he knew about the cash and valuables at home, which his uncle had got after selling his ancestral properties in Bihar. Initial investigation revealed that Khan came up with the idea of cheating his uncle and he told his friends that his uncle has kept hawala money in his house,” said police officer.
Three more accused are wanted in the case. Among them is a policeman and a police informer, who the cops believe is the prime conspirator. “We have come to know that a real policeman is involved but his name can be revealed by the prime conspirator, who is still wanted,” said crime branch sources.
“Without any concrete evidence, we cannot disclose the name of the officer. Several police teams have been formed and the accused would be caught soon,” said a crime branch officer.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}