The Andheri police have arrested a 50-year-old man who duped more than 40 senior citizens across Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Nashik, and Igatpuri using clever tricks and fake identities. The accused, Anwar Abdul Hamid Shaikh, 50, a resident of Sonaji Chawl in Qureshi Nagar, Kurla West, was traced and apprehended at Igatpuri Railway Station. The accused used common names such as Shyam, Ram, Ganesh, Mahesh, Ramesh, and Suresh to gain the trust of elderly victims.

A police officer explained the modus operandi saying, “The accused targeted senior citizens who regularly visited temples. He would follow them and initiate a conversation. Claiming to run a cutlery business and now owning a showroom, he would tell the victim that he wanted to donate money to God. He would hand over Rs 5000 to the victim and request them to offer it at the temple.”

“He would then stop the victim again, asking them to perform a ritual involving gold, claiming he didn’t have any himself. He persuaded the victim to use their own gold, asking them to touch it to the currency for a blessing. The accused then wrapped the cash and gold in a handkerchief, claiming it should be opened only at the temple. In reality, he smartly replaced the valuables with paper and disappeared,” the officer added.