Pune: Fake Cop Nabbed for Duping Elderly and Women, Gold Worth Rs 7.68 Lakh Seized
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Hadapsar, 19th April 2025: Pune Crime Branch Unit 6 has arrested a 30-year-old man from Lonikalbhor who posed as a police officer and targeted elderly citizens and women to steal their gold ornaments.
The accused, Hamid Afsar Khan, a resident of Pathare Vasti, Lonikalbhor, was apprehended earlier today following a tip-off received by police head constables Nitin Mundhe and Kanifnath Karkhele.
Khan was nabbed around 11:00 am near the Lonikalbhor village cemetery. He was riding a black TVS Apache 200 motorcycle at the time of arrest. Acting swiftly, the team brought him to the Crime Branch Unit 6 office for interrogation, where he confessed to duping senior citizens in Pune City and nearby areas by impersonating a police officer.
According to police officials, Khan preyed on the vulnerability of elderly men and women by pretending to be a cop and convincing them to hand over their jewelry for “safety reasons,” only to flee with it. He admitted to being involved in theft and cheating cases under the Kondhwa, Parvati, Kothrud, Bharati Vidyapeeth, Saswad and Sinhgad Road police jurisdictions.
Seized Property:
Gold ornaments: 96 grams worth ₹7.68 lakh
Motorcycle: Black TVS Apache 200 worth ₹1 lakh
In total, eight cases of fraud and theft have been solved with Khan’s arrest, and goods worth ₹8.68 lakh have been recovered.
The operation was executed under the guidance of Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Shailesh Balkawade, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Nikhil Pingle, and ACP (Crime 2) Rajendra Mulik.
The investigation team included:
Police Inspector Waheed Pathan, API Madan Kamble, PSI Ramkrishna Dalvi, and police personnel Nitin Mandhe, Kanifnath Karkhele, Balasaheb Sakate, Ramesh Memane, Suhas Tambekar, Sachin Pawar, Tradshikesh Takawane, Krishikesh Vyavare, Balasaheb Tanpure, Ganesh Dongre, Nitin Dhadge, Shekhar Kate, Pratiksha Pansare, and Kirti Narwade.
Police officials have appealed to citizens, especially the elderly, to remain cautious and report any suspicious individuals claiming to be police officers. Further investigation is underway to identify Khan’s accomplices and trace additional cases linked to him.
