Railway ASI arrested for posing as senior Mumbai cop, cheating victims of lakhs
A railway police assistant sub-inspector was arrested for allegedly impersonating a Mumbai DCP and duping victims. The case has exposed how fake credentials and police know-how were used to build trust and run frauds.
An assistant sub-inspector of the railway police has been arrested for allegedly posing as a deputy commissioner of police and cheating several people of lakhs of rupees by promising jobs, loans and help in recovering pending payments, an official said on Saturday. The accused, Mohammad Gaus Ibrahim Khatib, allegedly operated under the alias "DCP Dr Raj Khatiba" for nearly a decade. Police said he used the fake identity to win the trust of people and take money from them.
"While posing as a senior Mumbai police officer, he used forged identity cards, maintained an orderly to enhance his image, and cultivated contacts in high-profile circles to gain the confidence of prospective victims. He promised to secure loans, facilitate recovery of pending payments and arrange jobs in the police department in exchange for money," the Crime Branch official said. He also maintained an active presence on social media, posting videos and photographs of himself interacting with prominent personalities, the official added.
The probe began after a complainant alleged that Khatib had collected Rs 10 lakh as processing charges to arrange a car loan of Rs 1.6 crore. "When the loan failed to materialise, the complainant approached the Mumbai police headquarters, and a probe found that no officer by the name Dr Raj Khatiba existed in the force. The Crime Branch Unit III then laid a trap and lured the accused through a deal of Rs 48 lakh to a hotel in Andheri, where he was apprehended," the official said.
Khatib is also in custody in another cheating case in which he allegedly took Rs 12 lakh from a youth after promising to secure a police job, the official said. "Since Khatib is an ASI, he knew the workings of the police, its protocols and other details. He used to pose as an assistant commissioner of police (ACP) in 2015-16 before claiming to be a DCP. We have so far identified four cases in which he has cheated victims of Rs 48 lakh. More people are expected to come forward with complaints," the official added.
Police said the case has so far revealed that Khatib allegedly used fake credentials, social media visibility and his knowledge of police procedures to cheat victims, with four cases involving Rs 48 lakh identified till now.
An assistant sub-inspector of the railway police has been arrested for allegedly posing as a deputy commissioner of police and cheating several people of lakhs of rupees by promising jobs, loans and help in recovering pending payments, an official said on Saturday. The accused, Mohammad Gaus Ibrahim Khatib, allegedly operated under the alias "DCP Dr Raj Khatiba" for nearly a decade. Police said he used the fake identity to win the trust of people and take money from them.
"While posing as a senior Mumbai police officer, he used forged identity cards, maintained an orderly to enhance his image, and cultivated contacts in high-profile circles to gain the confidence of prospective victims. He promised to secure loans, facilitate recovery of pending payments and arrange jobs in the police department in exchange for money," the Crime Branch official said. He also maintained an active presence on social media, posting videos and photographs of himself interacting with prominent personalities, the official added.
The probe began after a complainant alleged that Khatib had collected Rs 10 lakh as processing charges to arrange a car loan of Rs 1.6 crore. "When the loan failed to materialise, the complainant approached the Mumbai police headquarters, and a probe found that no officer by the name Dr Raj Khatiba existed in the force. The Crime Branch Unit III then laid a trap and lured the accused through a deal of Rs 48 lakh to a hotel in Andheri, where he was apprehended," the official said.
Khatib is also in custody in another cheating case in which he allegedly took Rs 12 lakh from a youth after promising to secure a police job, the official said. "Since Khatib is an ASI, he knew the workings of the police, its protocols and other details. He used to pose as an assistant commissioner of police (ACP) in 2015-16 before claiming to be a DCP. We have so far identified four cases in which he has cheated victims of Rs 48 lakh. More people are expected to come forward with complaints," the official added.
Police said the case has so far revealed that Khatib allegedly used fake credentials, social media visibility and his knowledge of police procedures to cheat victims, with four cases involving Rs 48 lakh identified till now.
An assistant sub-inspector of the railway police has been arrested for allegedly posing as a deputy commissioner of police and cheating several people of lakhs of rupees by promising jobs, loans and help in recovering pending payments, an official said on Saturday. The accused, Mohammad Gaus Ibrahim Khatib, allegedly operated under the alias "DCP Dr Raj Khatiba" for nearly a decade. Police said he used the fake identity to win the trust of people and take money from them.
"While posing as a senior Mumbai police officer, he used forged identity cards, maintained an orderly to enhance his image, and cultivated contacts in high-profile circles to gain the confidence of prospective victims. He promised to secure loans, facilitate recovery of pending payments and arrange jobs in the police department in exchange for money," the Crime Branch official said. He also maintained an active presence on social media, posting videos and photographs of himself interacting with prominent personalities, the official added.
The probe began after a complainant alleged that Khatib had collected Rs 10 lakh as processing charges to arrange a car loan of Rs 1.6 crore. "When the loan failed to materialise, the complainant approached the Mumbai police headquarters, and a probe found that no officer by the name Dr Raj Khatiba existed in the force. The Crime Branch Unit III then laid a trap and lured the accused through a deal of Rs 48 lakh to a hotel in Andheri, where he was apprehended," the official said.
Khatib is also in custody in another cheating case in which he allegedly took Rs 12 lakh from a youth after promising to secure a police job, the official said. "Since Khatib is an ASI, he knew the workings of the police, its protocols and other details. He used to pose as an assistant commissioner of police (ACP) in 2015-16 before claiming to be a DCP. We have so far identified four cases in which he has cheated victims of Rs 48 lakh. More people are expected to come forward with complaints," the official added.
Police said the case has so far revealed that Khatib allegedly used fake credentials, social media visibility and his knowledge of police procedures to cheat victims, with four cases involving Rs 48 lakh identified till now.
