Home / Crime and Justice / Impostor Cops Arrested for Duping Mumbai Philanthropist in Diwali Scam
Impostor Cops Arrested for Duping Mumbai Philanthropist in Diwali Scam
17 Oct
Summary
- Two men posed as police to solicit Diwali donations from social worker
- Accused transferred ₹2,000 to the fraudsters' e-wallet before realizing they were impostors
- Police apprehended the duo within 24 hours of the incident
On October 15, 2025, two men dressed in police uniforms approached a 67-year-old social worker, Anand Joshi, at his home in the Santacruz area of Mumbai. Claiming to be from a local police station, the accused, Dashrath Vyas (24) and Radheshyam Chauhan (38), stated their intention to distribute clothes and food to the poor during Diwali.
To gain Joshi's trust, the fraudsters presented a book indicating that a member of Joshi's building had donated ₹10,000. Convinced by this, Joshi transferred ₹2,000 to their e-wallet. However, he later realized that the men were not genuine police officers and reported the matter to the Santacruz police station.
The police, led by Senior Inspector Yogesh Shinde, reviewed the CCTV footage and identified the two men within 24 hours of the incident. During the investigation, the police found that Vyas had a previous cheating case registered against him at the Marine Drive police station. The authorities also confiscated a motorcycle and the clothing used by the duo in the crime.
The Santacruz police have arrested the two impostors, Dashrath Vyas and Radheshyam Chauhan, both residents of Madhya Pradesh, for their deceitful actions in defrauding the social worker.
