Chor Police

Four men pose as policemen to con three women in one day in Bangalore south, make away with jewellery worth Rs 2 lakhPosing as policemen, a gang of four conmen tricked three women in Bangalore south out of their valuables in one day. The police said the jewellery they made away with was together worth Rs 2 lakh.One of the three incidents that reportedly took place on Monday occurred 500 metres from Channammanakere Acchukattu police station.The victim was R T Nagar resident Subbalakshmi (52), who was relieved of jewellery worth Rs 60,000 near the Kamakya bus stop.The police said Subbalakshmi, who was on her way to a relative's wedding, had got off a bus and was walking towards her destination when she was approached by a man who identified himself as a policeman. They said the man asked Subbalakshmi to accompany him as his superior wanted to talk to her, and when she looked around her she did notice a man standing a few metres away who was waving at her.Concerned 'cops'The police said Subbalakshmi went up to him and he flashed an identity card at her, told her he was a police officer, and said his team was investigating the murder of an elderly woman.The 'officer' then reportedly asked Subbalakshmi to not wear her valuables in public and ordered his assistant to help her put them away safely.Just for effect, the 'officer' also stopped an elderly passer-by, gave him the same advice, and told another 'policeman' to help that man put away his valuables.After the alleged fake policeman had helped Subbalakshmi remove her valuables and put it in her purse, she left but after walking a few metres, Subbalakshmi grew suspicious and checked her purse, only to find pebbles there instead of her gold chain, a pair of earrings and a pendant.The police believe the elderly passer-by was also a member of the gang.Repeat performanceIt was a similar story for Hamsa Ghorpade, a housewife from Banashankari, who told the police she lost her gold chain worth Rs 90,000 to the conmen.The police said Ghorpade was on her way to her driving class when a man claiming to be a policeman stopped her, told her there had been an elderly woman's murder in the area.The 'policeman' allegedly took away her gold chain worth Rs 90,000, again on the pretext of helping her keep it safe.A lecturer with a private college also reportedly lost her gold chain worth Rs 50,000 in Banashankari in a similar manner.The police believe all three incidents to be the handiwork of the same gang. A few months ago many similar incidents had been reported.But after the police the genuine kind stepped up security, no more incidents involving fake policemen were reported, at least till now. Admitting a sudden rise in such incidents in the south division, a senior police officer said he had asked his men to keep an eye out for the gang.