Pune builders robbed of ₹25L by fake cops in Chembur

Mumbai: In a dramatic daylight con, a Pune-based real estate developer and his partner were duped of ₹25 lakh in Chembur after a gang posing as police officers—armed with toy guns and sticks—staged a fake raid and fled with the cash. Nehru Nagar police have arrested one suspect on Sunday and are on the hunt for five others believed to be part of the elaborate scheme.

The arrested accused has been identified as Samir (full name withheld pending investigation), while his accomplices, all reportedly from outside Mumbai, remain at large. Police say the gang lured the victims with a classic “money-doubling” scheme and executed a film-style heist involving impersonation and deception.

According to senior inspector Ankush Khedkar of Nehru Nagar police station, the main accused is a repeat offender with previous cases registered in Mumbai and Pune involving similar scams. “We have identified several of the accused through CCTV footage. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and our teams are working round the clock to trace the absconding accused,” Khedkar said.

The complainant, 43-year-old S Khambe, a resident of Pune, is engaged in the real estate business with his partner, A Karande. As per their statement, they were introduced to one Pravin Mungse, who claimed that an individual in Mumbai could double their money within hours.

Enticed by the promise, the duo pooled ₹25 lakh — Khambe contributing ₹16.5 lakh and Karande ₹8.5 lakh — and travelled to Mumbai on April 30 in an SUV. Their meeting point was outside Chembur railway station, where they met Mungse and another associate, Dashrath Lohote, 58. The group then proceeded to Swastik Chembur, where another accused, Mukund Jha, joined them briefly.

Following a short conversation, Khambe and Karande were asked to wait until 4:30 pm for the “money exchange” to proceed.

At the designated time, two unidentified men entered their vehicle and directed them to a nearby office where the ₹50 lakh payout was supposedly waiting. The group reached the Pragati Building service road along the Eastern Express Highway.

But what happened next was pure theatre.

As Khambe began displaying the cash, four men arrived in another vehicle, brandishing toy guns and sticks and posing as police officers. They shouted orders, grabbed the cash-laden bag, and instructed the victims to follow them to the police station — before speeding off towards Thane.

Khambe and his partner tried to chase the vehicle for a few kilometres but soon lost sight of it as it accelerated away. Realising they had been conned, the duo approached the Nehru Nagar police and filed a complaint.

The police have verified the sequence of events using CCTV footage and confirmed the gang’s modus operandi matches earlier cases involving the main accused. A case has been registered under Sections 318(4), 204, and 3(5) of the BNS, and multiple teams have been dispatched to trace the absconding suspects.

“This was a carefully orchestrated operation. We are confident of arresting the remaining accused soon,” said Inspector Khedkar.