A magistrate's court in Mumbai delivered a sharp rebuke to the Cuffe Parade police on Tuesday for their failure to adhere to mandatory legal procedures during the arrest of a man accused of impersonating an IPS officer and defrauding a senior Indian Navy officer.
Court Orders Immediate Release, Demands Police Explanation
The 23rd Metropolitan Magistrate Court not only directed the immediate release of the accused, Kartik Venugopal (30), but also took the serious step of ordering senior police officials to submit a formal reply. The court gave them seven days to explain why they neglected the crucial procedure of providing the written grounds of arrest in a language comprehensible to the accused.
The Elaborate Impersonation and Fraud
The case originated from a complaint filed by a senior woman officer of the Indian Navy. According to the police, the officer alleged that Venugopal, a resident of Kerala, had crafted a fake profile on a matrimonial website, posing as an IPS officer posted outside Maharashtra. The complainant, who was searching for a match, initiated contact after seeing his profile.
After exchanging phone numbers, they began communicating regularly. The accused reportedly built her trust over time through a prolonged friendship. Subsequently, he allegedly began citing personal difficulties to request financial help. Through this deception, he managed to extract approximately Rs 2.7 lakh from the officer via online transactions.
The situation escalated when he demanded more money, triggering the complainant's suspicion. Her subsequent investigation led to the discovery of the impersonation, prompting her to approach the Colaba police. The case was later transferred to the Cuffe Parade police station for investigation.
Arrest Deemed Illegal, Violating Supreme Court Mandates
The cyber cell of the Cuffe Parade police traced the financial trail to Kerala, leading to Venugopal's arrest. He was brought to Mumbai on Monday and produced in court the next day. While the police sought his custody, labeling him a habitual offender and citing another similar case registered against him outside Maharashtra, the defence presented a compelling counter-argument.
Advocate Sunil Tiwari, representing Venugopal, contended that the arrest was outright illegal. He pointed out that his client understands only Malayalam and English, yet the arrest notice was served in Marathi. This, he argued, was a clear violation of legal requirements and established Supreme Court judgments on mandatory arrest procedures.
The magistrate accepted this argument, leading to the order for the accused's release. This judicial intervention underscores the critical importance of following due process, regardless of the severity of the allegations.
