2 fake cops’ gangs busted in Ahmedabad, suspended police held

Two different gangs cheating people by posing as officials of the police department have been busted by Naroda and Saherkotda police, respectively.

Eight people have been arrested, including a suspended cop earlier posted with Odhav police. He was suspended after the hooch tragedy of 2010.

The Naroda police on Sunday arrested the suspended police constable Hasmukh Patel, for allegedly trying to extort money from a trader from near Krishnagar crossroads. Patel had allegedly demanded Rs20,000 from the complainant by threatening to book him in a false police case.

"Patel was posted at Odhav police station and was known as one of the most corrupt policemen there," a source in the police said.

The complainant, Sanjay Luthara, was eating omelette along with some friends at the Krishnanagar crossroads at around 7:30 pm on Sunday. He was approached by two people - Patel and a petty criminal, Kalpesh Vania - who asked Luthara for the registration papers of his car.

"They asked me to produce the papers, or get ready for a police case," Luthara said. Patel allegedly said that there was strict police bandobast across the city due to the terror threat and if he [Luthara] wanted to settle the matter there and then, he should pay him Rs20,000. Besides Patel, Vania was also arrested.

In the other case, the Saherkotda police on Monday arrested six people allegedly involved in cheating couples going to hotels, restaurants or couple rooms. Sources said the police received a tip-off about some criminals posing as the officials of the crime branch. The criminals were allegedly cheating couples and extorting money from them.

The gang consists of a rickshaw driver who usually identifies and traps the couple, Aabid Shaikh, Abdul Ansari, Yasin Qureshi, Imran Pathan, Mohammad Pathan and Haidar Ansari.

Police sub-inspector of Saherkotda police, VS Champavat, told DNA that the gang was active in Kalupur, Saherkotda, Vatwa and Rakhial areas of the city.