Fake CID Officers Swindle Aurangabad Businessman of ₹25 Lakh Gold
Three impostors posing as CID officers cheated a prominent Aurangabad businessman of gold jewelry worth 25 lakh rupees. Read the full story.
In a daring act of deception, a prominent businessman in Aurangabad, Raghunandan Sao—widely known as Seth Ji—was defrauded of gold jewelry worth approximately 25 lakh rupees. The perpetrators, three men posing as CID officers, used fear and impersonation to execute the heist in broad daylight.
The Ambush on MG Road
The incident unfolded on Friday morning at around 10:06 a.m. near Pawai Kothi on MG Road, an area falling under the jurisdiction of the Nagar police station. While Mr. Sao was walking near his residence, he was approached by three individuals arriving on two motorcycles.
The men identified themselves as officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). They claimed to be on active patrol in the area following a spike in chain-snatching incidents. To establish authority and intimidate the victim, the impostors threatened him with a fine of 10,000 rupees under the pretext of conducting security checks.
The Clever Swap
Coerced by the fake officers, Raghunandan Sao agreed to remove his jewelry for the "check." He handed over a substantial 110-gram gold chain, which featured rudraksha and trishul ornaments, along with a gold ring weighing 35 grams.
The fraudsters employed a sophisticated sleight-of-hand trick to steal the valuables:
- One of the suspects pretended to place his own chain into a handkerchief to build trust.
- The victim's jewelry was wrapped in paper and placed inside a handkerchief.
- In a quick move, the suspects swapped the genuine jewelry bundle for another one filled with stones.
Once the switch was complete, the trio sped away on their motorcycles, leaving the businessman with a bundle of pebbles.
Police Investigation and Local Concern
The victim is the father of Ajeet Chandra, a former president of the Rotary Club and the operator of Chandra Machinery, which is located near the site of the crime.
Baban Baitha, the House Officer of the Nagar Police Station, confirmed that a First Information Report (FIR) has been officially registered. The police are currently employing the following measures to track down the criminals:
- Analyzing CCTV footage from the MG Road area to identify the motorcycles and the suspects.
- Conducting raids in suspected hideouts.
A Growing Pattern of Fraud
This incident has sent shockwaves through the local business community. Police officials noted that this is not an isolated case; a similar fraud occurred in Kutumba a few months ago, suggesting that a gang specializing in impersonating law enforcement may be operating in the region.