Fake Walk
http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/2011042220110422030521285ccc74004/Fake-Walk.html
Forty-two cases of fake policemen looting Amdavadis in less than four months. Ahmedabad Mirror reporters don the khaki and wield the danda to find out how easy or difficult it is to fool people posing as cops. Our verdict: It’s a cake walk
Team AM
• Mirror reporters Hemington James and Vipul Rajput (in checked shirts) flag down a van at C P Nagar. They wore no uniform to establish their identity as ‘cops’
• Seeking to be let off, the driver offered Rs 100. The reporters revealed the truth. The driver vowed to check the identity of cops in future
Amdavadis believe they can separate the real from the fake in just a glance. This might do well when it comes to diamonds and sweets, but in case of fake cops, they are as gullible as they come.
This was proven in a Mirror test drive undertaken by four reporters on Thursday. They were unshaven, unkempt and had no proper uniform. Yet they successfully managed to fool several people in the city.
Danda raj
The reporters began by flagging down a van driver at C P Nagar at 8.30 am. In a hurry to pick up school kids, the man did not question the identity of the ‘cops’ who wore no khaki.
All they had was a danda to establish their identity.
And that was enough as the driver — who wore no seatbelts and carried no driving licence/registration papers — offered them Rs 100 to let him go.
When reporters revealed their true identities, the driver promised to check the credential of cops to avoid being duped in the future.
CASE 2
• Sarojben Patel at Bhuyangdev was asked to remove and put her jewellery in her purse. She refused to do so and sought help from devotees at a nearby temple
• A call to JCP (Sector-I) Satish Sharma finally solved the issue. Sharma, who knew about the test drive, asked his men to let the reporters go
ASLI-NAKLI Policemen from Ghatlodia police station almost arrested Mirror reporters
Samjhilo ne
The reporters next went to a garden near the Thaltej crematorium on S G Highway. One of the two couples sitting there spotted the four reporters. Seeing one of the reporters in khaki pants and police belt, they assumed the danda-wielding quartet were cops. Scared of being hauled to the police station, the youngsters promised never to return to the garden and offered money to the cops to let them go. They even called their friends to bring money so that the ‘cops’ could be bribed. When the reporters revealed their identities, the youngsters breathed a sigh of relief.
CASE 3
• Danda-wielding ‘cops’ evoked fear in two couples at a garden on S G Highway
• One of the couples offered money to the ‘cops’ to wind up the matter and let them go
Gutsy women
Forty-two women might have been duped by fake cops since January. But Mirror reporters found that getting elderly women to part with their jewellery was a different ballgame.
The reporters carefully chose the timings and locations frequented by the ‘fake’ cops. They adopted the modus operandi of fake cops. Usually, a fake cop approached a woman and asks her to meet his senior standing nearby next to a motorcycle. They warn her of a crime that had taken place nearby and ask her to remove her jewellery and keep it safe in her purse. They help her to do so and when the woman reaches home, she finds pebbles or imitation jewellery instead of her gold ornaments.
CASE 4
• Reporters tried to stop Kashiben Patel in Satellite but the woman kept marching determinedly
• Kashiben had been targeted by chain chors once. She had vowed never to fall prey to them again
Posing as cops, they approached elderly women and concocted tales of murder and loot to coerce them into handing over their jewellery. Not only did the women refuse to fall in the trap, one even called the police control room.
In another instance, the reporters almost got arrested when an alert police patrol detained them. Since the test drive was carried out with permission from Joint Commissioner of Police (Sector I) Satish Sharma, he asked the cops to let the reporters go.
Later, constables Chetan Bharwad and Ashish Rajput accompanied the reporters to prevent such misunderstanding from occurring again. (Inputs by Ojas Mehta, Vipul Rajput, Hemington James and Yogesh Avasthi)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
‘Ask for cop’s identification’
For some time, cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Surat and Ahmedabad have witnessed a peculiar type of crime. Two men approach their target — always an old lady — tell her that a crime has taken place and police checking is on so she should not wear ornaments in public. They ask the gullible victim to remove the ornaments and place these in a piece of paper/bag they hold out, then place the paper in her purse. When the victim reaches home, she finds her ornaments gone. In its place are a few pebbles or cheap pieces of jewellery.
In Ahmedabad, these con men operate in areas like Vastrapur, Satellite, Ghatloadia and Ellisbridge. There have also been cases of criminals posing as cops to extort money or valuables from couples sitting in gardens or other offenders by threatening them with police case.
Ahmedabad police has launched a campaign against such criminals. Patrolling has been intensified on roads, streets and around temples. Police has also launched a campaign through media to spread awareness. The efforts have yielded good results. Over last few weeks, at least six fake cops have been arrested and since April 9, no case of cheating have been reported. A 22-year-old from Odhav, who posed as ACP Gandhinagar and duped a Motera resident of Rs 45,000 after promising to help him clear the examination for sub-inspector, was arrested from Sabarmati on Wednesday.
We request Amdavadis to remain alert to such criminals. If any cop approaches you, ask for identification. In no case should you hand over your valuables to him. Inform the police control room on 100 and 1095 immediately.
Chor, Police aur Victims
A year ago, 2-3 cops asked me to remove my ornaments and keep them in my purse. When I refused, they tried to force me into an auto but I ran into an apartment and saved myself
- Anup Saxena, Memnagar resident
I was going to the temple when two unidentified persons stopped their bike near me. They snatched my gold chain and fled so I stopped wearing gold ornaments
- Manjulaben Upadhyaya, Ambawadi resident
Policemen never asks anyone to remove ornaments. This itself should be indication that the person is a fake. The victim should shout for help and gather people around in a case
- S P Trivedi, Vastrapur PI
Forty-two cases of fake policemen looting Amdavadis in less than four months. Ahmedabad Mirror reporters don the khaki and wield the danda to find out how easy or difficult it is to fool people posing as cops. Our verdict: It’s a cake walk
Team AM
• Mirror reporters Hemington James and Vipul Rajput (in checked shirts) flag down a van at C P Nagar. They wore no uniform to establish their identity as ‘cops’
• Seeking to be let off, the driver offered Rs 100. The reporters revealed the truth. The driver vowed to check the identity of cops in future
Amdavadis believe they can separate the real from the fake in just a glance. This might do well when it comes to diamonds and sweets, but in case of fake cops, they are as gullible as they come.
This was proven in a Mirror test drive undertaken by four reporters on Thursday. They were unshaven, unkempt and had no proper uniform. Yet they successfully managed to fool several people in the city.
Danda raj
The reporters began by flagging down a van driver at C P Nagar at 8.30 am. In a hurry to pick up school kids, the man did not question the identity of the ‘cops’ who wore no khaki.
All they had was a danda to establish their identity.
And that was enough as the driver — who wore no seatbelts and carried no driving licence/registration papers — offered them Rs 100 to let him go.
When reporters revealed their true identities, the driver promised to check the credential of cops to avoid being duped in the future.
CASE 2
• Sarojben Patel at Bhuyangdev was asked to remove and put her jewellery in her purse. She refused to do so and sought help from devotees at a nearby temple
• A call to JCP (Sector-I) Satish Sharma finally solved the issue. Sharma, who knew about the test drive, asked his men to let the reporters go
ASLI-NAKLI Policemen from Ghatlodia police station almost arrested Mirror reporters
Samjhilo ne
The reporters next went to a garden near the Thaltej crematorium on S G Highway. One of the two couples sitting there spotted the four reporters. Seeing one of the reporters in khaki pants and police belt, they assumed the danda-wielding quartet were cops. Scared of being hauled to the police station, the youngsters promised never to return to the garden and offered money to the cops to let them go. They even called their friends to bring money so that the ‘cops’ could be bribed. When the reporters revealed their identities, the youngsters breathed a sigh of relief.
CASE 3
• Danda-wielding ‘cops’ evoked fear in two couples at a garden on S G Highway
• One of the couples offered money to the ‘cops’ to wind up the matter and let them go
Gutsy women
Forty-two women might have been duped by fake cops since January. But Mirror reporters found that getting elderly women to part with their jewellery was a different ballgame.
The reporters carefully chose the timings and locations frequented by the ‘fake’ cops. They adopted the modus operandi of fake cops. Usually, a fake cop approached a woman and asks her to meet his senior standing nearby next to a motorcycle. They warn her of a crime that had taken place nearby and ask her to remove her jewellery and keep it safe in her purse. They help her to do so and when the woman reaches home, she finds pebbles or imitation jewellery instead of her gold ornaments.
CASE 4
• Reporters tried to stop Kashiben Patel in Satellite but the woman kept marching determinedly
• Kashiben had been targeted by chain chors once. She had vowed never to fall prey to them again
Posing as cops, they approached elderly women and concocted tales of murder and loot to coerce them into handing over their jewellery. Not only did the women refuse to fall in the trap, one even called the police control room.
In another instance, the reporters almost got arrested when an alert police patrol detained them. Since the test drive was carried out with permission from Joint Commissioner of Police (Sector I) Satish Sharma, he asked the cops to let the reporters go.
Later, constables Chetan Bharwad and Ashish Rajput accompanied the reporters to prevent such misunderstanding from occurring again. (Inputs by Ojas Mehta, Vipul Rajput, Hemington James and Yogesh Avasthi)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
‘Ask for cop’s identification’
For some time, cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Surat and Ahmedabad have witnessed a peculiar type of crime. Two men approach their target — always an old lady — tell her that a crime has taken place and police checking is on so she should not wear ornaments in public. They ask the gullible victim to remove the ornaments and place these in a piece of paper/bag they hold out, then place the paper in her purse. When the victim reaches home, she finds her ornaments gone. In its place are a few pebbles or cheap pieces of jewellery.
In Ahmedabad, these con men operate in areas like Vastrapur, Satellite, Ghatloadia and Ellisbridge. There have also been cases of criminals posing as cops to extort money or valuables from couples sitting in gardens or other offenders by threatening them with police case.
Ahmedabad police has launched a campaign against such criminals. Patrolling has been intensified on roads, streets and around temples. Police has also launched a campaign through media to spread awareness. The efforts have yielded good results. Over last few weeks, at least six fake cops have been arrested and since April 9, no case of cheating have been reported. A 22-year-old from Odhav, who posed as ACP Gandhinagar and duped a Motera resident of Rs 45,000 after promising to help him clear the examination for sub-inspector, was arrested from Sabarmati on Wednesday.
We request Amdavadis to remain alert to such criminals. If any cop approaches you, ask for identification. In no case should you hand over your valuables to him. Inform the police control room on 100 and 1095 immediately.
Chor, Police aur Victims
A year ago, 2-3 cops asked me to remove my ornaments and keep them in my purse. When I refused, they tried to force me into an auto but I ran into an apartment and saved myself
- Anup Saxena, Memnagar resident
I was going to the temple when two unidentified persons stopped their bike near me. They snatched my gold chain and fled so I stopped wearing gold ornaments
- Manjulaben Upadhyaya, Ambawadi resident
Policemen never asks anyone to remove ornaments. This itself should be indication that the person is a fake. The victim should shout for help and gather people around in a case
- S P Trivedi, Vastrapur PI
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