Honour among thieves

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Cheat snatches money, gives ''phone'' in return</span><br /><br />"<span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Hum aise chor hain jo chori bhi karein toh imaandari se.</span>" It''s a regular Hindi film dialogue but cheat Imran Shaikh believes in it. Shaikh regularly cheated people by selling them cell phones, which were actually soap bars packaged like phones.But even though he may have snatched money from his victims, Shaikh claimed that he ensured that he delivered the soap bar, which he actually wanted to swap with the mobile phone -- to ''honour'' the deal worked out.<br /><br />Shaikh was arrested after his last victim Deepak Zore informed the cops. According to Pydhonie police, Zore was passing from Nagdevi Street in Pydhonie area a few days ago when 25-year-old Shaikh approached him. He offered him a mobile phone worth over Rs 7,000 for less than the half rate. <br /><br />However, despite much persuasion, Zore refused to buy the phone. "It was following this, that Shaikh forcibly removed Rs 1,000 from Zore''s pocket," says inspector B G Kamble, who is investigating the case.<br /><br />However, unlike other robbers, Shaikh did not escape after snatching the money. He handed over the ''mobile phone'' to Zore. "He asked him not to open the cover immediately and told him to do so after going a little ahead," says Kamble.<br /><br />Suspecting a foul play, Zore immediately opened the cover only to find a soap bar in place of the mobile phone. He demanded his money back which Shaikh refused, says Kamble. Shaikh then assaulted Zore who called for help. A few cops who were patrolling nearby rushed to the spot and arrested Shaikh and arrested him. Shaikh was booked under robbery charges and is in jail custody till March 14.</div> </div>