Pune city police have arrested a man who cheated several people by posing as a policeman, officers said. The accused, identified as Pramod Balu Dhere, 30, is a resident of Yerwada.
A press release recently issued by the police stated that search was intensified for a person who had been cheating citizens in Yerwada, Kalyani Nagar, Koregaon Park and Viman Nagar areas by dressing up as a police officer. Acting on a tip-off, a crime branch team headed by inspector Ganesh Mane intercepted a car in Irani Market on Wednesday.
The officers found that the car driver had a haircut similar to that of a policeman and he had put up a sticker that said ‘Police’ on the car’s windshield. During a subsequent search, the officers found a police monogram, lathi and whistles in his possession. The items have been seized along with the car, the investigators added.
Further probe revealed that Dhere, who drove the car, was not a policeman, but allegedly moved around in a police uniform at night. The police said he cheated people by posing as a cop. Dhere was arrested in a case lodged at Yerwada police station as per sections 420 (cheating) and 170 (personating a public servant) of the Indian Penal Code.
Investigators said Dhere roamed around police stations and court premises to understand how police personnel work, speak and behave with citizens. A probe is on to determine how many people he has cheated by posing as a policeman.
