India, Aug. 27 -- Three men posing as BMC clean-up marshals allegedly stopped a 37-year-old man travelling in an auto-rickshaw in Bandra East and made him pay Rs.19,500 by claiming he had been caught smoking inside the vehicle, police said. The Kherwadi police arrested the trio after tracing them to Powai with the help of CCTV footage and technical surveillance.

The accused were identified as Amit Kulaye, 34, Sudheer Pujari, 32, and Vinod Sadar, 36, all residents of Powai.

The incident took place around 10.45am on May 25, when complainant Jubin Shah, a Ghatkopar East resident, was travelling home. When his auto reached Hans Bhugra Junction on the Western Express Highway, near the Vakola bridge in Bandra East, two men riding a motorcycle...