Video: Man Posing As Cop Jumps Into Auto, Demands Rs 50,000 From Mumbai Woman For Using Vape

A woman in Mumbai recently shared a disturbing incident wherein a man claiming to be a police officer climbed into her autorickshaw and attempted to fine her for using a vape. In a series of posts on X (formerly X), the woman’s sibling detailed the incident which took place in Mumbai’s Powai area. The woman claimed that a man in plain clothes tried to arrest her and threatened legal action if she didn’t pay him Rs 50,000. She also said that the man refused to provide identification or other formal identity, following which she sensed foul play and began recording the whole exchange inside the auto. 

“I’m currently on MIDC (Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation) Road and this man followed me and got into my auto-rickshaw. He’s forcibly trying to take me to Powai Chowki,” the woman said in the clip, which showed her sitting at the back of the three-wheeler with a man dressed in a white shirt and pants sitting next to her. As she pointed the camera at the man, he covered his face with his hand and attempted to break her phone. “You cannot take me anywhere without a female police officer present,” the woman said. 

Take a look below: 

Encounter with a Suspicious Cop Over a Vape in Mumbai. Asked 50k to let go.@MumbaiPolice please look into this incident.#fraud#femalesecurity pic.twitter.com/gitNVPCngU

— मराठा ? (@Mard_Maratha_0) October 15, 2024

In the following post, the X user shared a detailed account of the incident. They explained, “My sister was on her way back from college, holding her vape, when this guy hops into the auto she’s in. They’re in front of MIDC, and she’s alone”. 

“He says he’s a cop and demands Rs 50,000 for the offence of having a vape. He sits beside her, starts vaping from her vape, and tries to intimidate her with threats. He says if she doesn’t have the cash, she will be taken to the Powai police station and directs the auto there,” the user wrote. 

“She was understandably shaken and called me in panic. I told her it’s  just a scare tactic to extort money. I then told her to take out her phone and start recording the interaction. As soon as she did that, his demeanor changed completely,” they said in the next post. 

The user stated when their sister started recording the incident, the man got scared and quickly got out of the auto. “Before leaving, my sister had told him her name while she was panicking, he said something like “ye shaani ko baadme dekh lunga” which given what our country is going through. The whole time he refused to identify himself or show,” the X user wrote. 

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Since being shared, the incident has gone viral on social media, sparking widespread reactions. While some users praised the woman for her quick thinking, others called on Mumbai police to take action against the imposter. 

“Mumbai police, please take action against this cop; it’s a matter of our police’s image and women’s safety in Mumbai,” commented one user. “There are no legal restrictions specifically preventing individuals from using e-cigarettes. The legislation forbids sales, manufacturing, distribution, export, transportation, etc,” wrote another. 

“Brave and intelligent girl. Instead of engaging in a verbal argument with him, she put her mind together & noticed something wasn’t right with this person,” expressed a third user.