In a shocking case of fraud, four men posing as Intelligence Bureau (IB) officers from Delhi raided a jeweller’s office in South Mumbai and demanded ₹25 lakh, threatening to file a case against him for alleged cash transactions in gold dealings. The accused managed to extort ₹11.5 lakh from the jeweller before fleeing. However, within 24 hours, the Mumbai Police successfully arrested all four impostors.
The complainant, a jeweller residing in the Ghodapdeo area of Byculla, runs his office in the Bohiwada area near Bhuleshwar. On March 19, four unidentified men entered his office and introduced themselves as IB officers. They instructed the jeweller’s staff to switch off all office telephones and prohibited anyone from leaving the premises. The accused claimed they had evidence of cash transactions at his shop, which, according to them, was a serious legal offense. They warned him that a criminal case would be filed unless he paid ₹25 lakh to avoid legal action.
When the jeweller expressed his inability to pay such a large amount, the accused started intimidating him. Fearing legal trouble and personal harm, he agreed to pay ₹11.5 lakh. After collecting the money, the impostors told him that they needed to deliver the cash to their senior officers and left the premises. However, after a long wait, when they did not return, the jeweller realized he had been duped. He immediately approached the VP Road Police Station and lodged a complaint.
Acting swiftly, the police registered a case under Sections 308(3), 332(c), 333, 204, and 3(5) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita. Special teams were formed to investigate the case, and the police began tracing the suspects.
The breakthrough in the investigation came through CCTV footage from the jeweller’s office, which provided clear visuals of the four accused. Further examination of CCTV cameras in the surrounding area helped the police track their movements. Based on this information, the police launched an operation and arrested all four suspects in the early hours of Friday.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Pavan Sudhakar Chaudhary (33), a resident of Thakur Village in Kandivali East; Shrijit Madat Gaikwad (32), a resident of Ulwe in Navi Mumbai; Suryakant Shivaji Shinde (32), a resident of Vakola East; and Kisan Dhondiba Shelar (53), a resident of Girgaon.
The police are now investigating whether the accused were involved in similar fraudulent activities in the past. Further action is underway.