Three men were arrested late on Thursday for allegedly posing as policemen and collecting money from motorists in Rajarhat, police said.
The Rajarhat police station received multiple complaints from several motorists and two-wheeler riders that a group of men had been
extorting money from them along desolate stretches of some roads in Rajarhat, including Rajarhat Main Road, said an officer of the Bidhannagar commissionerate.
Based on the complaints, a police patrol team from Rajarhat police station arrested the trio after they spotted the men on motorcycles trying to stop a truck in Rajarhat on Thursday night.
The arrested three were identified as Rajendra Mishra, 33, Sheikh Mirazul, 23, and Rahul Ameen Mollah, 27.
The men were on two bikes that had “Police” stickers pasted on the front and back, the officer said.
“They would generally try and stop trucks and cars by overtaking them on their bikes and then pulling up in front of them,” the officer said.
Several motorists have allegedly been duped by the men, the police said. Cops have received a dozen such complaints.
“To sound convincing, the trio would first ask for the vehicle’s documents. If they found a document invalid, they would demand exorbitant amounts as fine and then settle for lesser amounts. If they found a vehicle’s documents in order, they would still extort money from the owner or driver,” the officer said.
The three are unemployed, the officer said.
“They would start moving around on the two bikes after 8pm. They would choose desolate spots and use flashlights to stop vehicles,” he said.
The police seized the two motorcycles and several mobile phones from the three.
The men were charged under various IPC sections, including 170 (personating a public servant) and 419 (cheating by personation).
They were produced at a Barasat court on Friday and sent to judicial custody.