Vadodara: Family of three nabbed for cheating traders posing as cops

VADODARA: For a common person, a rented house in Sundarpura near Vadodara city would look like a godown of a shop selling electrical and kitchen appliances. Although it was a godown, but the stacks of these appliances were all procured by a family of con artists.


A 29-year-old Piyush alias Yash Zala, his sister Monika alias Guddi Zala and their father Raju Zala have been conning traders from across the city selling these appliances since past three years by posing as police officials or television journalists.

The prevention of crime branch (PCB) of city police arrested the trio on Saturday and seized these appliances worth over Rs 4.3 lakh from the rented premises. The police had received several complaints from the traders on the basis of which they investigated and tracked down the family of three.

“We had information about Piyush that he would be passing by Susen Circle on the basis of which we kept a watch and nabbed him. Later Monika and Raju were arrested from the house where they had stacked the valuables,” said in-charge inspector R C Kanamiya of PCB.

Piyush used to visit the shops in different areas of the city posing as an official of CBI, CID, anti-corruption bureau, crime branch or a local policeman.

He would show interest in buying appliances in large number and make payment through cheque. But the cheque would never be cleared due to insufficient balance. By the time the trader would realize that he has been conned, the trio would have targeted another trader in some other area.

Just like her brother, Monika used to pose as a television anchor or a journalist or a woman police inspector and cheat the traders. Police said that their father used to accompany them to help them with delivery of stock.

Police said that the accused were tracked down on the basis of CCTV footages of the shops and the mobile phone numbers which they had given to the shop owners.

Around 45 ceiling and table fans, 10 RO plants, 41 LED bulbs, three geysers, two ovens, 14 mixer grinders, three sandwich toaster, 14 induction cooktops, three roti makers, two water pumps and protein powders were seized. They had planned to stock these appliances and sell them in the black market for money.

Offences have been registered against them at Manjalpur, Gotri, Wadi, Laxmipura, Harni and JP Road police stations. Police are expecting several other victims to come forward against the trio.