Thane Police Bust Extortion Ring: Impostors Posing as Cops Arrested
Thane, 21st March 2024: On Wednesday, authorities in Thane disclosed that two individuals had been apprehended for impersonating police officers and attempting to extort Rs 10 lakh from a tempo driver. The incident transpired early Tuesday morning near Vitava in the Kalwa area, where the driver was transporting food grains to Adharwadi jail in Kalyan.
According to the driver’s account, while en route from Mumbai, he was intercepted by four individuals purporting to be law enforcement officials. Subsequently, they boarded the vehicle and, after travelling a distance, falsely accused the driver of smuggling. They proceeded to assault him and demanded a hefty sum to evade legal repercussions.
Upon the driver’s refusal to comply, the impostors contacted the owner of the food grain shop, reiterating their demand. Acting swiftly, the shop owner alerted the authorities, leading to the arrest of two suspects aged 36 and 40. The search for the remaining two accomplices is ongoing, as reported by news agency PTI.
Senior Inspector Ashok Uttekar of Kalwa Police Station confirmed the filing of a case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code. These include Sections 170 (personating a public servant), 341 (wrongful restraint), 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating), 385 (putting a person in fear of injury to commit extortion), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 34 (common intention). Further investigation into the matter is currently underway.
