A shocking incident has come to light from Mumbai’s Wadala area, where a gang posing as police officers allegedly robbed a retired schoolteacher of ₹13 lakh in broad daylight on the pretext of showing her a flat. However, the victim’s presence of mind and relentless chase, coupled with the alertness of Deonar police, foiled the gang’s plan in a dramatic turn of events. Acting swiftly, the on-duty police team intercepted the suspects and arrested all three accused, identified as Ahmed alias Salim Sheikh (16), Sanjay kumar Dubey (59) and Pravin Pandey (32). Police said the car used in the crime was also found to be bearing a fake registration number.
According to information provided by Wadala police, the victim, Anita Jose Miranda (58), is a resident of Vasai and is currently teaching in Dongri. Owing to the distance from her workplace, she was looking to purchase a house closer to her place of work and had gone to Wadala carrying ₹13 lakh in cash as an investment amount. On January 17, 2026, at around 1.30 pm, the victim reached the Mirage Cinema Mall in Wadala along with her acquaintances. After staying there till evening, they were taken to an under-construction site near Lodha Tower on Anik Road.
At around 5 pm, a youth present at the site took the bag containing cash from the victim on the pretext of checking the money and suddenly snatched it before moving ahead. At the same time, a white car arrived at the spot, and two men alighted, introduced themselves as police personnel, and forcibly made the youth sit inside the vehicle. Claiming that they were taking him to the police station, the trio fled from the spot, creating panic and confusion.
Showing courage, the victim and her companions immediately chased the car. The situation took a decisive turn near KD Junction in Govandi West, where a Deonar police patrol team noticed the suspicious circumstances and stopped the vehicle. During the search, the police recovered the bag containing the entire ₹13 lakh in cash. Further investigation revealed that the car was fitted with a fake number plate concealed using a sticker. Once the sticker was removed, the original registration number came to light, exposing the entire conspiracy.
Police said the gang used a well-planned modus operandi, targeting common citizens by posing as police officers to gain their trust and carry out robberies. A case has been registered at Wadala police station, and further investigations are underway to ascertain whether the gang was involved in similar crimes earlier.