Fake cop flees with watches worth Rs 22,000 held

A 40-year-old man who escaped with wrist watches worth Rs 22,000 posing as a cop from a showroom in Tiruvanmiyur has been arrested.

The accused Sivakumar alias Siva of Bhagwan Colony in Vadapalani has fleeced phones, groceries from many shops in different areas after appearing in police sub-inspector uniforms with the name badges of Sivakumar and Joshua. He has more than 10 similar cases pending against him in Ashok Nagar, Vadapalani, and Sankar Nagar said police.

While visiting the shops, Sivakumar would play the recordings of the walkie-talkie sounds from his phone to convince the shopkeepers that he was indeed a cop.

On Tuesday, Sivakumar visited a watch showroom on LB road in Tiruvanmiyur and selected watches for Rs 22,000. Later, claiming that he did not have cash with him, Sivakumar asked the showroom to send staff with him to collect the cash.

However, after reaching Indira Nagar in a two-wheeler, Sivakumar asked the staff to get down and fled the spot.

The staff alerted the showroom about the incident after which they realized that they were conned.

Based on their complaint, Tiruvanmiyur police registered a case and identified the suspect with the help of CCTV footage from the showroom. He was secured and the stolen watches were seized from him. He was remanded in judicial custody.