Mumbai News: Fake IPS Officer Arrested For Cheating Businessman; Forged Aadhaar, Multiple Aliases Found

Mumbai: The Crime Branch Unit 2 has arrested a man who posed as a high-ranking police officer and allegedly cheated a 24-year-old Crawford Market businessman out of his mobile phone. The accused, identified as Sandeep Narayan Gosavi alias Sandeep Karnik alias Dinesh Bodulal Dixit, was arrested on July 8 following a complaint filed at Azad Maidan Police Station.

The complainant, Nazim Qasim Kachchi, who owns a shop named Saqebi Collection near Crawford Market, stated that around a year ago, he met a man identifying himself as Sandeep Karnik, claiming to be a senior police officer (IPS). The man frequented his store, and several officers from the nearby Mumbai Police Commissioner Headquarters appeared to recognize him, further solidifying the complainant’s trust.

On June 5, the imposter visited Kachchi and claimed he had forgotten his phone in a car in Nagpur. He requested to borrow Kachchi’s Samsung A35 phone for temporary use. Trusting him, Kachchi handed over his old phone. However, when he later requested its return, the accused stalled and eventually stopped responding. He also falsely promised to pay ₹14,000 for the phone but never did.

Suspecting fraud, Kachchi made inquiries and discovered the man was not a police officer and had duped others under similar pretenses. Acting on a tip that the accused would be near the Aarey Sarita stall outside Police Commissioner’s Gate No. 5 late at night on July 7, Kachchi alerted police officers known to him. The accused was apprehended and brought to the Crime Branch office, where Kachchi’s stolen phone was recovered from his possession.

During interrogation, the accused admitted to using multiple identities and deceiving civilians by impersonating a police officer. A forged Aadhaar card bearing the name Dinesh Bodulal Dixit but carrying his photograph was also seized. Police have added charges of forgery under Section 337 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.

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He was produced in Esplanade Court and remanded to police custody until July 11. According to police, further investigation is required to identify possible accomplices, determine how the forged Aadhaar was created, and verify if there are additional victims. Advocate Ajay Dubey appeared on behalf of the accused in court.

Charges have been registered under BNS Sections 204 (destruction of evidence), 318(1)(4) (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 319(1) (impersonation of public servant), 316(2) (criminal breach of trust), and 337 (forgery). The investigation is ongoing.