Mumbai: Cops trap conman who fled with woman’s phone in June

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The Matunga police on Wednesday arrested a 38-year-old man for snatching mobile phones of women whom he lured with job offers. The police have recovered three devices from him. The complainant, a 25-year-old woman from Nalasopara, had seen a massage therapist job ad on a website that promised Rs 25,000 per month. She then called the number, and a person told her to meet him at the Matunga E station on June 4. They had a basic chat and he told her that she would be taught to massage.

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They then set out together to meet a trainer. While sitting on the man's bike, she kept her mobile phone in the side box, as per his wishes. When they reached Maheshwari Garden, the man handed over a Rs 100 note and told the woman to bring a bottle of oil. As she got off the bike, the man sped off. The women rushed to Matunga police station and registered an offence. "We keep a close eye on the activities of such criminals," said Deepak Chavan, senior inspector of Matunga police station. A team was formed to track the accused, under PSI Prashant Kamble.

During investigation, the team found a similar ad and a cop met the man posing as an unemployed person. "We nabbed him and brought him to the police station," Kamble said. The accused, Allaudin Sheikh, is a resident of Chembur. He confessed to cheating three people. The probe team comprised ASI Jayendra Surve and Constables Vinayak Mundhe, Kishore Deshmane, Pravin Todane, Hanuman Metkari and Yashwant Ghadge.