Real life Special 26: Fake taxmen ‘raid’ broker's house, escape with `4L booty

In a plot that seemed straight out of the Akshay Kumar film 'Special 26', three men posed as part of income tax (IT) officials to rob a real estate agent and walked off with cash and gold ornaments worth more than Rs.4 lakh late on Sunday night in less than 45 minutes.

According to police, the conmen arrived at the fifth floor apartment of Omkar Tower, Kashimira, when realtor Govind Chotelal Singh, 48, and his wife were at home, around 10.30 pm. Seeking the couple's cooperation, the trio (aged between 30 and 40 years), who identified themselves as income tax officials claimed the Singhs' premises were being raided. One of the trio even flashed an identity card, for 'authenticity'.

Govind tried to call his chartered accountant but the trio sternly forbade him from doing so and proceeded to take away the couple's mobile phones.

While two of them began the search operation, one of the impostors kept vigil at the entrance of the apartment.

Sensing something fishy, when the couple tried to raise an alarm but the accused gagged and assaulted them at gunpoint. Govind was also forced to reveal the code number of the safety vault, after which the impostors decamped with Rs 85,000 cash and gold ornaments worth Rs. 3.18 lakh. Interestingly, it took less than 45 minutes for the impostors to execute the crime.

“A case under the relevant sections of the IPC for theft, impersonation, house trespass, assault and wrongful restraint has been registered against the unidentified trio. Special teams have been formed to nab the miscreants,” confirmed Senior Police inspector Vaibhav Shingare. Last week, two men posing as couriers had attacked and robbed a senior citizen in Mira Road.

Seeking cooperation from the couple, the trio identified themselves as officials from the IT department and claimed their premises was being raided to check unaccounted wealth