A phony cop arrested by the Thane police at the end of last month after he duped a car dealer of Rs 5.64 lakh has also duped two Thane jewellers of over Rs 28 lakh, the police said.

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On June 21, Gajanan Palve, 28, a resident of Ghodbunder Road, Thane, was arrested by Naupada police for duping a secondhand car dealer from Naupada. The police said two jewellers have now complained against him after he bought gold jewellery from them and did not pay up.

Palve, wearing a police uniform, approached Sanjay Patil, 43, a car dealer in March and April and bought two cars, i20 and Maruti Ertiga, from him worth Rs 5.64 lakh.

The impostor told Patil he was an officer of the Mumbai Anti Terrorism Squad and said he would provide the documents required to make the purchases later. Patil said he believed him since he was a police officer. But after Palve took the cars, he did respond to the dealer's many calls.

Patil lodged a police complaint on June 20 and Palve was arrested the next day. "During the investigation, we found that he had duped a jeweller in Naupada and another in Thanenagar," said senior police inspector Chandrakant Jadhav, Naupada police. "In 2017, he bought gold jewellery worth Rs 14 lakh from the Naupada jeweller, claiming there was a wedding in the family and that he would pay them later. But he never did and dodged their calls," he said.

Palve is in the custody of Naupada police till July 6.

BEHIND BARS

  • Palve is already in the custody of Naupada police till July 6 for duping a car dealer. He will be handed over to Thanenagar police for investigation. ‘He has duped 2 jewellers. We will ask for his remand from court on Friday,’ say cops.