Had given lift to 63-year-old victim, conducted fake drug search; police suspect more cases around IGMC
Shimla: In a shocking incident, a man posing as a CID officer duped a 63-year-old patient attendant of ₹29,000 in Shimla and fled the scene. The accused, identified as Mithun, a resident of Kotkhai, was later arrested by police near the Chalonthi area. The money looted from the victim has been recovered.
The incident occurred on Friday when Harilal, a resident of Rohru, had brought his wife to Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) for treatment. While heading from IGMC to Lakkar Bazar to buy a blanket, he accepted a lift from a man in a car. During the ride, the man introduced himself as a CID officer and falsely accused Harilal of being involved in drug trafficking. He then searched the elderly man and forcibly took ₹29,000 from his pocket before pushing him out of the car and fleeing.
Harilal raised an alarm, and bystanders immediately informed the police. Acting swiftly, police tracked down the accused and caught him in the Chalonthi area. The car used in the fraud has also been seized. Preliminary investigation has revealed that the car did not belong to the accused and is suspected to have been borrowed from an acquaintance.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shimla, Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi, confirmed the arrest and said, “The accused has a criminal history, with cases registered against him in other police stations under theft and the NDPS Act. His modus operandi included gaining victims’ trust by pretending to be an intelligence officer and then extorting money under various pretexts.”
Police believe Mithun could be part of a larger gang targeting attendants and patients near IGMC. For the past few weeks, authorities had been monitoring suspicious activity in and around the hospital following reports of similar incidents.
“We are interrogating the accused to check for his involvement in other cases,” said SSP Gandhi, adding that the arrest may lead to further revelations about such frauds happening around hospitals.
A case has been registered against Mithun under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code.
