Avadi police pose as couples to nab fake ‘constable’

CHENNAI: Giving a treatment of his own medicine to a fake ‘cop’ who allegedly targeted young couples on highways near Poonamallee and swindled jewels from them, six personnel of the Avadi city police posed as couples and stationed themselves at three places to catch the serial impersonator.

The arrested person has been involved in more than 45 cases across the State, Avadi police said.

The accused was identified as Sivaraman of Cuddalore.

Recently, Avadi city Commissionerate had received complaints from two young women who were conned by the accused on September 16 and 17.

In one incident on September 16, around 8 pm, a young couple who were talking in their car, after parking the vehicle in the service lane off 400 feet bypass road were questioned by a man who came on a two-wheeler and posed as a police constable.

Claiming that they have been called for enquiry, he collected their mobile phones. He then took the male friend on his bike and dropped him about a km away.

Then, he came to the car and threatened the woman and robbed her of four sovereign gold chain. The next day, he executed a similar modus operandi and robbed six sovereigns' gold chain from a woman. Nazreth Police and Vellavedu police had registered a case based on their complaints.

Avadi City police formed a special team expecting that he would commit the offence again along the 400 feet road. Three special decoy teams were formed to secure the culprit.

“The police personnel in the decoy were posing as young couples to trap the culprit at three different places on the 400 feet road for two days,” said a police officer from Avadi city police.

The conman tried the same thing to a decoy team waiting in a car and when they tried to secure him, he threatened them with a knife and escaped on his bike. He was arrested by another team near Maduravoyal toll gate. He was produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody.