Fake police officers gang, inspired by 'Special 26,' robs home of retired govt official, stealing Rs 36 lakh

In a Bollywood-style heist, a gang of six thieves, disguised as police officers, forcefully entered the residence of a retired government official in Airoli, Navi Mumbai, last week and walked off with an approximately Rs 36 lakh worth of valuables, a ToI report stated.

Drawing inspiration from the Bollywood movie 'Special 26,' where a group of 26 individuals impersonates CBI officers to conduct fake house searches at jewelers, this real-life gang of conmen posed as Anti-Corruption Bureau officials.

According to the retired official's criminal complaint, the incident occurred on July 21 in the afternoon when the six men stormed into the house of Kantilal Yadav. Leading the group, a bearded man asserted that they were from the Anti-Corruption Bureau and mentioned a lodged complaint against Yadav, using it as a pretext for conducting a house search.


He then confiscated the cellphones of Yadav and his wife, compelling them to sit beside him throughout the search. Subsequently, Yadav's wife was instructed to hand over the keys to the cupboards. Despite Yadav's insistence on verifying the bearded man's identity, the imposter defied his request, stating that it would be revealed after the search.

While the bearded man kept them under watch, his five accomplices scoured through the three cupboards in the three-bedroom flat and unearthed various valuables. The stolen items included Rs 25.25 lakh in cash, a gold chain worth Rs 3.80 lakh, a ring and a bracelet collectively valued at Rs 4.20 lakh, a diamond ring worth Rs 40,000, a diamond-studded gold mangalsutra worth Rs 80,000, and two wristwatches worth at least Rs 10,000. The loot was quickly packed into a leather bag found in one of the cupboards before the gang fled the scene.