Mumbai: Laundry worker fakes gunpoint robbery tale to cover up lost cash

The cops at the laundry shop after the message went viral

A 30-year-old man working at a laundry shop in IC Colony, Borivli West, fabricated a robbery story, claiming that two people on a bike held him at gunpoint and stole Rs 1,500 from the shop's drawer. Despite his tale, the shop owner didn't believe him and chose not to report it to the police. However, the laundry worker continued sharing the fake story with shop visitors and local watchmen. One visitor believed him and spread the story, which soon went viral in a local IC Colony residents' group.

The viral message reached the police and Crime Branch, who rushed to the laundry shop to investigate. After reviewing CCTV footage, officers found that no such incident had occurred. Upon interrogation, the worker confessed to making up the entire story. The laundry worker, identified as Ramesh Kanojia, had been employed at the shop for 10 years. Originally from Uttar Pradesh, Kanojia admitted to fabricating the story because he feared his boss would scold him after he lost Rs 1,500 from the shop's drawer.

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The viral message, which caused panic in the IC Colony area, read: "Robbery Alert in IC Colony: Yesterday at 4 pm, a man robbed the laundry at Prem Bhanu in IC Colony, holding the staff at gunpoint and taking all the cash from the drawer. This alarming incident happened in broad daylight, highlighting the lack of safety in the area. Please stay extremely alert and cautious."

According to police, Kanojia explained, "I was cooking inside the shop on Sunday around 1 pm. At some point, someone entered and stole Rs 1,500, which I had kept in the drawer. After finishing my meal, I saw the money was missing and feared my boss would be angry." "In the evening, I called my boss and made up the story about two men on a bike robbing me. Although my boss didn't believe it, I kept telling it to others, including local watchmen," Kanojia told the police officer.

"On Monday morning, a resident shared a WhatsApp message about the ‘incident,' which eventually reached the MHB Colony police. When officers reviewed the CCTV footage, they found no one had entered the shop during the time of the alleged robbery. They grew suspicious, took Kanojia into custody, and he confessed to making up the story," the officer said. The MHB Colony police released Kanojia with a warning after confirming the robbery was entirely fabricated.