A 50-year-old man from Bengaluru lost Rs 5 lakh to three people who posed as policemen and accused him of drug peddling.
The incident took place at a hotel in Veerannapalya, near Nagavara, on October 8. Bengaluru police have arrested one of the three impostors.
Another incident took place under the Hennur flyover towards the end of September. Two men claiming to be officers from the Central Crime Branch asked a man riding a bike to hand over his phone, and made away with it.
In a third case, a young man lost Rs 80,000 to a fake police officer, who promised to sell him a seized car for cheap. The victim had met the conman at a petrol bunk.
The ‘policeman,’ wearing a khaki uniform, claimed he was a sub-inspector at the Parappana Agrahara police station.
These incidents beg the question, ‘How can one tell a fake policeman from a real one?’ Metrolife dialled senior policemen in the city.
Ask for ID card
When in doubt, insist on seeing the ID card, says Dharmendra Kumar Meena, DCP, Bengaluru North.
This is better than basing your judgement on the uniform. “There are times when policemen go undercover and don’t wear uniforms. But otherwise, law enforcement officers must wear their uniforms,” he explains.
Police costumes are easily available, and can be bought by anyone.
S D Sharanappa, DCP, Bengaluru East, says, “If a uniform doesn’t have stars pinned on the shoulders but just a band saying Karnataka State Police on the left sleeve, you should know it is not genuine.”The uniform varies according to the rank. An assistant sub-inspector wears a single star, while a sub-inspector wears two, and an inspector three.
Talk to seniors
“Ask the person which police station he is attached to and what his rank is. Call up that police station, and speak to the seniors there,” says Meena.
Buy time
Don’t rush into things. “If someone is posing as a policeman and selling you something, ask for a later appointment to complete the deal. Use the time to ascertain his identity,” says Sharanappa.
Serious crime
Instances of police impersonation are few and far between, but posing as a public servant is an offence under Section 49 of the Indian Penal Code. Punishment ranges from a penalty to a prison term.