Mumbai: A magistrate’s court on Tuesday pulled up Cuffe Parade police for failing to follow due process while arresting an accused who allegedly impersonated an IPS officer and duped a senior Indian Navy officer of nearly Rs 2.7 lakh. The court not only directed the immediate release of Kartik Venugopal (30), but also ordered senior police officials to file a reply within seven days, explaining why the mandatory procedure of providing written grounds of arrest in a language understood by the accused was not followed.The case pertains to a complaint lodged by a senior woman officer of the Indian Navy, who alleged that Venugopal had created a fake profile on a matrimonial website and claimed to be an IPS officer. The complainant, who was searching for a suitable match, came across his profile and initiated contact. Venugopal, a resident of Kerala, responded, and the two soon began communicating regularly after exchanging phone numbers.According to police, the accused claimed to be an IPS officer posted outside Maharashtra and gradually gained her trust. After developing a prolonged friendship, he allegedly sought financial help citing personal difficulties and managed to extract Rs 2.7 lakh through online transactions. When he later demanded more money, the complainant grew suspicious and discovered the alleged impersonation, following which she approached Colaba police. The offence was later transferred to Cuffe Parade police station.The cyber cell of Cuffe Parade police traced the financial transactions to Kerala, from where Venugopal was arrested and brought to Mumbai on Monday. The next day, the accused was produced before the 23rd Metropolitan Magistrate Court, where police sought his custody claiming that he is a habitual offender as one more similar offence has been registered against him outside Maharashtra. But advocate Sunil Tiwari, appearing for Venugopal, argued that the arrest was illegal and cited Supreme Court judgments on mandatory arrest procedures. He contended that Venugopal understood only Malayalam and English, while the arrest notice was served in Marathi, violating legal requirements. Accepting the argument, the court ordered the accused’s release.
