Uttar Pradesh / 2 held in Noida for posing as Delhi Police personnel extorting money

Noida: Noida Police arrested two men for allegedly extorting money from motorists by impersonating as Delhi Police personnel.

Police identified the suspects as Neeraj Chaube and Mohammad Afsar, who were from Varanasi and Delhi, respectively, and in their 20s. Police said that they have recovered two fake Delhi Police identity cards, a set of vehicle documents and two cellphones, among other things, from them.

Senior police officers said that the duo would stop motorists on pretext of violations like not wearing a helmet or mask.

“The suspects would ask for the vehicle’s papers which they would then seize claiming them to be a part of an investigation. Sometimes, if the papers were not in order, they would use that to their advantage as well,” said Rajneesh Verma, assistant commissioner of police, zone 1.

They would then threaten legal action against the person unless they paid up, Verma said.

On May 20, the suspects allegedly stopped a Noida resident near the Mahamaya flyover and took ₹4,500 from him.

“The suspects took his papers and threatened to send him to jail. They told him to meet at Labour Chowk with another ₹20,000 for them,” said the ACP. Instead, the victim approached the police. “We intercepted them during the meet and nabbed them.From their phones, we have recovered evidence of at least 10 other people being duped in this manner. Some of them are now coming forward with their complaints. We are working on identifying other victims as well.”

The duo had been active for over six months and mostly worked in desolate areas in Delhi and Noida, said police.

The suspects were booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code at Sector 58 police station, police said. They added that the men had been produced before a magistrate who sent them to 14-day judicial custody.