A man allegedly posted as a police officer from Lucknow and cheated a 66-year-old Thane grocery shop owner in Maharashtra's Thane district of Rs 18 lakh under the pretext of saving him from action in a criminal case, an official said on Monday, reported news agency PTI.

The imposter contacted the Thane grocery shop owner from Badlapur in Thane between May 9 and 30 on different occasions, claiming he was an officer from the Alambagh police station in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, reported PTI.