Date:19/04/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/04/19/stories/2005041917000500.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Pseudo police on cheating spree

Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD: They have struck once again. Even as the city police are racking up their brains to nab the pseudo policemen who have been robbing women of jewellery by diverting their attention, another such case came to light on Sunday at S.R. Nagar.

A housewife, G. Sarojamma, 65, was walking home on foot when a youngster approached her saying his police officer boss wanted to speak to her. He took her to a man standing a hundred yards away. The stranger asked her not to move around with jewellery saying a woman was murdered for gold in that locality last night.

Even before the confused woman could make up her mind, a passer by sought to know what was happening. When the self-styled police officer repeated his advisory, he removed his jewellery and kept it in his bag. The woman too removed her ornaments and gave them to the so-called policeman who wrapped the same in a paper and returned it to her.

When Ms. Sarojamma opened the packet on reaching home, she found stones in it. "The third man who removed his ornaments and kept them in the bag was also a member of the gang and did it only to mislead the woman," the S.R. Nagar police said.