There was high drama at Mahakali Nagar in Mulund East earlier this week, when residents panicked after four men claiming to be from the Tamil Nadu Police arrived at their gate to meet a resident in connection with an alleged murder and fraud case on Sunday afternoon.

The alarm was immediate because several recent incidents in the eastern suburbs involved fraudsters posing as police officers. With fear of “cons as cops” running high, the society’s security guard refused to let the four in. Even the resident they had come to meet insisted they return with Mumbai Police personnel before any conversation.

Tamil Nadu police team arrives in Mulund for a covert search operation. Their quiet recce at the society triggers confusion and alarm among residents. Illustration/Uday Mohite

Residents said the men introduced themselves as officers but were not accompanied by any local police team. “We didn’t want to take a chance,” one resident said, adding that the group quickly left after saying they would return with Mumbai Police.

Residents then briefly questioned the visitors at the gate. During a short exchange in English with the security guard and a few members of the society, the visitors were asked to show their ID cards and explain why they were not in uniform. They claimed they were keeping their identities discreet. Skeptical residents continued questioning them.

“Their visit was low-key. They didn’t want to attract attention, so they left without answering much. Residents found this suspicious and assumed they were fraudsters,” a police official said.

Residents and officers land at Navghar police station. Local police confirm visitors are genuine Tamil Nadu cops tracking a wanted fugitive

To clear their doubts, residents went to the nearby Navghar police station. What they learned surprised them. The four men were indeed Tamil Nadu Police officers, led by a sub-inspector, and had travelled to Mumbai to trace a wanted accused believed to be hiding in the area, confirmed Rakesh Ola, DCP Zone 7.

Police said the officers were from the Nanguneri police station in Tirunelveli district and were searching for a “sharp and notorious” accused wanted for property damage and extortion, and with a history of violent crimes. The accused had been on the run for weeks, frequently shifting locations, forcing the team to chase him across states.

According to Parag Sonawane, senior police inspector of Navghar police station, the Tamil Nadu team had initially contacted Crime Branch Unit 5 for assistance. Since the unit was occupied with another case, the matter was handed over to the Navghar police. The visiting team then coordinated with Navghar’s detection officer, and both sides agreed to work together.

CCTV grabs of the Tamil Nadu police team whose visit triggered panic in the Mulund society. Pics/By Special Arrangement

Before the joint operation began, the four officers conducted a quiet recce of the locality to avoid alerting the accused. But this attempt at secrecy inadvertently triggered panic among residents. Mumbai Police confirmed that although the Tamil Nadu team had informed Navghar police before beginning inquiries, they did not take local personnel along during the initial visit. “If they had, this misunderstanding would not have happened,” a resident said.

Sonawane added, “The team is still in Mumbai. Their investigation is ongoing. We have assured them full support. I have spoken to their superiors in Tamil Nadu to understand the case. The same team will be back on weekends to trace and arrest the accused. Mumbai Police always supports other state police forces.”

DYSP Dharshika Natarajan confirmed that it was her team from Nanguneri that had been deployed to Mumbai for the investigation. In a statement, Tamil Nadu Police clarified, “We had informed Mumbai Police about our arrival, but the local team was slightly busy at the time our four-member unit reached the location. There was no miscommunication or confusion. Our officers had received specific intel on the accused, and given his history of absconding, they moved quickly to try and apprehend him before he was alerted.” Officials added that the case is registered under the Tamil Nadu Public Property (Prevention of Damage and Loss) Act, 1992.

When asked for further details, Natarajan said, “The case is still under investigation and highly sensitive. We cannot disclose information about the case or the accused at this stage.”

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