Nagpur: A wave of shock and fear has gripped Nagpur after three daring incidents in which conmen posing as police officers robbed unsuspecting citizens of gold jewellery worth around Rs 12 lakh, all within a single day. The fraudsters used a cunning trick: Pretending to warn people about “recent crimes” and convincing them to remove their jewellery for “safety.”
The first incident took place around 11:30 am on Sunday when 65-year-old Usha Nandkishore Zade, a resident of Khankhoje Nagar, was on her way to the market. At Siddheshwari Chowk, a helmet-clad youth stopped her, claiming a police officer wanted to speak with her. Another man, also wearing a helmet, introduced himself as a policeman and warned her about a stabbing incident nearby.
Gold Rate
10 Oct 2025
Fearing for her safety, Usha removed her gold bangles weighing 50 grams (worth about Rs 4 lakh) and placed them in her bag as instructed. The imposter “helped” her tie the bag securely, but cleverly slipped the jewellery out before fleeing with his two accomplices on a bike. Usha later lodged a complaint at Hudkeshwar Police Station.
In another case, Jugalkishore Shahu (67), a steel shop owner, was stopped near bridge number 10 in Jaripatka. Two men on a motorcycle introduced themselves as police and demanded to see his Aadhaar card. They then advised him to remove his gold chain, worth about Rs 5 lakh, and “keep it safe.”
Pretending to wrap the chain in paper, they secretly swapped it with stones and handed the fake packet back before fleeing. Shahu discovered the fraud soon after and registered a complaint at Jaripatka Police Station.
A third similar case occurred near Amarkar Jewellers on Itwari Road around 10:45 am. Mamta Dhadial (55) was approached by four men who introduced themselves as police officers. They claimed she was carrying jewellery unsafely and tricked her into handing over ornaments worth about Rs 3.70 lakh from her purse. CCTV footage from the area has been collected by police to identify the culprits.
Adding to the city’s unease, a farmer from Madhya Pradesh, Om Prakash Jaiswal, was duped of jewellery worth Rs 66,000 during a wedding in Dhantoli by another gang using similar tactics.
City police have launched a massive manhunt and appealed to citizens to remain cautious. “No police officer will ever ask anyone to remove their ornaments in public. Citizens should immediately inform the nearest police station if approached by such imposters,” said an official.
Investigations are underway, and teams have been formed to track down the culprits based on CCTV footage and eyewitness descriptions.
