Bangalore:
Bangalore police have arrested Mahesh Gowda, a 22-year-old wholesaler of readymade garments, forstealing expensive cars by posing as a cop from the Crime Branch.
Gowda ran his syndicate with the help of his friends Riyan and Nayaz, who were also in the garment business.
The group stole two Innova cars from areas that fall under the jurisdiction of Sanjay Nagar and Ashok Nagar police station respectively.
Gowda, a resident of Bharat Nagar, wasn't doing well in his business. Hence, in a bid to make a quick buck, he decided to dupe people by posing as a cop.
According to police, Gowda got himself a police uniform and a fake identity card. He, along with his accomplice, used to stop drivers and assert that they had violated traffic rules.
Then, they would scare them by claiming to be from the Central Crime Branch and take them to an isolated place. There they would ask the driver to get down and then run away with the car.
S Chandrakala, inspector of Basavanagudi police station, "After receiving a tip-off, we laid a trap and arrested Gowda. However, Riyan and Nayaz managed to escape."
He added that the trio might be involved in other car theft cases as well. "The picture will only be clear when we arrest the other two," he said.
Meanwhile, the police have recovered two Innova cars collectively worth Rs 27 lakh from Gowda's possession.