Fake Police Threats Become Extortion Tool, 3 Gangs Busted In Bhopal

Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh - Criminal gangs posing as police officers have been using fake threats to extort money and valuables from residents, according to recent police reports. In the past 20 days, at least three such gangs have been apprehended in various parts of the city, with women involved in the racket or acting as the ringleaders.

In one incident, Piplani police arrested Abuzar, Raghuveer, and Karuna Shahi, as well as Yawar on the run, after they allegedly entered a hotel room and threatened a married man with a fake police badge, demanding Rs 70,000 to avoid criminal charges. Another gang in Misrod was busted when four individuals, including a daughter-in-law of a former DSP, were caught pretending to be Crime Branch officials and robbing a 22-year-old man of his gold chain, threatening to link him to a drug case.

Shahpura police arrested two men attempting to extort motorists by posing as policemen and providing fake challans, with one suspect carrying a fake pistol. Police warn that these gangs are particularly active near areas popular with young people, targeting them with threats related to drug or other offenses. Suspicious SUVs without registration plates and tinted windows have been observed in various parts of the city, though their connection to these gangs remains unconfirmed.

Police officials urge the public to report any threats or blackmail in the name of police officers immediately. The tragic news of a four-year-old missing from a Bhopal home being found dead in an open septic tank is unrelated to this story.