Fake cops leave real ones aghast

• Pseudo policemen on the prowl
• Imposters causing sleepless nights to police top brass

The modus operandi of the pseudo police includes studied attempts to dress up as real police officials and imitate them in their mannerisms. The fake cops have perfected this art so well that it is now hard to distinguish between the pseudo cops and the real ones. The fake cops are now after unsuspecting members of the public in the guise of helping them out on one pretext or the other

Santosh Padala

Denizens of the city now have a peculiar problem: They have to face fake cops who ‘police’ better than real cops, but with the sole objective of swindling them! With gangs of pseudo policemen on the prowl and striking at will, many people are finding it difficult to make out who is real and who is fake so far as the men in khaki are concerned. Even for the police bosses it has become a pain in the neck and a big professional challenge. The crime being perpetrated by those masquerading as cops are on the increase.

In all, 54 cases of thefts and chain snatchings involving pseudo policemen have been registered at various police stations in the city so far this year, as against 12 cases registered in 1012. According to statistics available at City Crime Records Bureau (CCRB), the number is significantly higher than the cases registered in the last few years. The Central Crime Station (CCS) police nabbed a gang of pseudo policemen for duping gullible people.

The revelations of the accused turned out to be an eye-opener for the cops. The modus operandi of the pseudo police includes studied attempts to dress up as real police officials and imitate them in their mannerisms. The fake cops have perfected this art so well that it is now hard to distinguish between the pseudo cops and the real ones. The fake cops are now after unsuspecting members of the public in the guise of helping them out on one pretext or the other. The persons who entertain them always end up paying a heavy price.

Their advice to the common public comes with a specific agenda. While introducing themselves as police, they suggest to women wearing ornaments be wary of chain-snatchers. They even persuade them to keep their ornaments in their purses and vanity, bags instead of displaying them. In the process of ‘helping’ the women put the ornaments in pouches or bags, by sheer sleight of hand or otherwise they ensure that the jewels land in their own hands and in no time vanish with the valuables.

Besides operating in bustling business localities, they are also active in areas such as Jawaharnagar, Lalaguda, Amberpet, Abids, Kacheguda, Somajiguda, and S R Nagar, which are prone to crimes of pseudo policemen. For instance, unidentified persons escaped with Rs 7 lakh from a person while he was carrying the amount after withdrawing from a bank. In another incident, Rs 3.5 lakh was stolen from an employee at Axis Bank ATM in SR Nagar in May.

While warning people of increasing number of incidents involving pseudo policemen, CCS DCP K L V Ranga Rao advised general people to inform the police by dialing 100 whenever they encounter the fake cops. “Basically, police never demand people to hand over their gold ornaments and valuables. Instead, the police provide suggestions on how to be cautious about snatchers and thieves,” stated the DCP.

As many as 70 thefts and crimes committed by diverting attention of the public have been registered so far in 2013, reflecting considerable rise compared to 79 cases during 2012. “Diversion of attention in order to snatch or rob gold ornaments has become a major concern for police. There is a great need to create awareness among the public on crimes committed by diverting attention,” stated L K V Ranga Rao.