Fake cop collected money for 'police tournaments'

Mumbai: Reality has finally caught up with Gulabchand Gupta, an imposter who would pose as a police officer attached to Worli police station to extract bribes from locals.

Real cops from Worli station recently caught the conman red-handed, when a suspicious doctor put them on his scent.

The 38-year-old man would force money out of locals on the pretext of organising police tournaments. Cops have also recovered fake letterheads used by Gupta to convince his victims that he was a police officer.

Con artist
Dressed in khaki garb, Gupta used to introduce himself as Inspector Deshmukh from the Worli police station, taking inspiration from a character in a popular TV show. "He would roam around in the Jambori maidan area, and extract money from shop owners in the area," said PSI Uttam Bhapkar.

According to PSI Bhapkar, on August 1, Gupta entered a clinic, and resorting to his usual ruse, asked for money on the pretext of collection for a Kabbadi tournament, which he claimed was being organised by the Worli police. He also produced a fake letter to convince his victims of the authenticity of his claims. The doctor, busy with his patients, asked Gupta to return later in the evening. Not convinced about the imposter's claims, he called up the Worli police station and enquired about the event.

The police immediately informed him that no such event was being organised, and no officer named Deshmukh was posted in Worli police station. The doctor then lodged a complaint. When Gupta returned to collect money from the doctor, the real cops were waiting with handcuffs.

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Senior Police Inspector Dipak Pawar of Worli police station said, "The accused is a history-sheeter who has complaints registered against him at a few police stations. He has been charged under several sections of the IPC for cheating, and has been remanded in police custody.

Fake letterheads have been recovered from him. He mainly targeted shop owners in the area. We are conducting more investigations to find out how many more people he cheated."

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