Trio posing as CB-CID sleuths held in Tirupur

According to police, Ruta Ram Choudhary, 36, a native of Rajasthan and residing at Sastri Nagar, was running a grocery shop at Velamapalayam area. On Monday, six persons, claiming to be CB-CID cops, visited his shop and threatened to book him for selling banned tobacco products.

They then tried to strike a compromise by asking Rs 5 lakh to avoid filing a case against him. Fearing arrest, Choudhary agreed to give Rs 3.5 lakh. He initially gave them Rs 3 lakh at Anuperpalayam junction on Avinashi Road. However, the fake cops continued to pester him seeking the remaining amount.

On suspicion, Choudhary lodged a complaint with Anuperpalayam police, who registered a case and decided to trap the fake cops. “As planned, Choudhary asked the culprits over phone to come and get the remaining money.

On Wednesday night, when three members of the gang came to Anuperpalayam junction to receive the money, a police team, who were waiting in hiding, nabbed them red-handed,” the police said.

The accused persons were identified as Syed Ibrahim, 44, Muhammed Hanifa, 44, and Sadiq Ali, 42, all hailing from different areas in Tirupur district. Based on their information, a search is on for three others identified as Babu, Rahmadulla and Ashraf.

Further investigations are on to know if they had extracted money from any others by using a similar modus operandi.