Five men allegedly cheated a businessman of over Rs 25 lakh in Maharashtra's Kolhapur by posing as vigilance officers and citing violation of the election code of conduct by him for carrying cash, police said on Wednesday.
The incident occurred on Tuesday morning, they said.
Assembly polls in Maharashtra will be held on November 20 and the election code of conduct is in force at present. Static Surveillance Teams (SSTs), flying squads of the Election Commission and police teams have been deployed across the state to curb poll-related irregularities.
"As soon as the victim, who is a swing trader, alighted from a private bus on a highway near Kolhapur early Tuesday morning, a man approached him and introduced himself as a vigilance officer. The latter asked the businessman if he was carrying any cash. When the victim told him that he had cash with him, the stranger said it was prohibited under the election code of conduct," inspector Deepak Jadhav of the Gandhinagar police station in Kolhapur said.
He then instructed the businessman to sit in their car for an inquiry. Four other individuals were already sitting in the car. They drove in the direction of Kolhapur, claiming they needed to check the quantum of cash, he said.
The accused asked the trader to hand over his bag and mobile phone and he acted accordingly. One of the accused persons then hinted at a possible compromise. However, the businessman insisted on going to the police station as he was confident that the cash was legitimate. When the car did not head in the required direction, he realised that they were imposters," Jadhav said.
Fearing for his safety, the businessman requested the accused to take away the cash and release him. They eventually dropped him at Sarnobatwadi, fleeing with Rs 25.50 lakh in cash and his mobile phone, he said.
Based on a complaint lodged by the victim, a case has been registered at the Gandhinagar police station, and efforts are underway to trace the accused.
