Four members of family arrested in fake gold-selling racket

Mumbai: The LT Marg police have arrested four members of a family for allegedly duping a Zaveri Bazaar-based jeweller of ₹20 lakh by selling him 510 grams of fake gold jewellery

Mumbai: The LT Marg police have arrested four members of a family for allegedly duping a Zaveri Bazaar-based jeweller of ₹20 lakh by selling him 510 grams of fake gold jewellery. The other three members, including the mastermind and head of the family, Narayan Baghel, are still at large.

According to the police, the modus operandi of the gang was the same everywhere. They would zero in on a jewellery store, and pretend to be poor labourers who had found antique coins or gold coin necklaces while digging at their employer’s place in their village. They would carry one or two genuine gold coins with them which they would offer jewellers to test, and then sell the fake ornaments for cash. (Image for representation)

Police officials said the family had cheated many jewellers in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh over the past few years. Although they have cases registered against them in various police stations, including Panvel and Andheri, this is the first time they have been nabbed by the police. “As of now, we have recovered ₹6.9 lakh from them,” said a police officer.

According to the complaint registered by the victim, on October 11, a middle-aged man who identified himself as Rajesh Rajput and a female senior citizen, who he said was his mother, came to his shop ‘Jai Jewellery’. The duo then showed him a necklace made of ‘gold’ coins, of which they detached one for him to test the authenticity of the metal. Satisfied that it was 22-carat gold, he agreed to buy it. The swindlers left their numbers with him and said they would return.

On October 26, the jeweller got a call from the same persons who told him that they would come to his shop on October 27. This time, two men and a woman landed up, and again detached a coin from the necklace to be tested. The second time too, it was 22-carat gold, said police sub-inspector Pradeep Bhitade of LT Marg police station.

The jeweller then calculated the value of the 510-gm necklace at ₹20 lakh, and handed over the payment in cash to the accused. About half an hour later, he discovered that the necklace was made of fake gold but by then the swindlers had left the shop and switched off their phones.

According to the police, the modus operandi of the gang was the same everywhere. They would zero in on a jewellery store, and pretend to be poor labourers who had found antique coins or gold coin necklaces while digging at their employer’s place in their village. They would carry one or two genuine gold coins with them which they would offer jewellers to test, and then sell the fake ornaments for cash.

After the FIR was registered, the cops traced the mobile locations of the accused to Titwala. They circulated the CCTV footage of the jewellery store to their informants in the suburb, and managed to nab two of the accused, Ravi and Dharma Kalani. After interrogating them, Dipali Ravi Kalani and Shankar Pannalal Bhaat were also arrested.

During interrogation, Dipali confessed that her father, Narayan Baghel, had kept some cash at a jewellery shop in Nerul. “We inquired with them and recovered ₹6.9 lakh,” said Bhitade.

The arrested accused are Dipali Ravi Kalani, 25, her husband Ravi alias Bhura Kalani, 34, his brother Dharma Kalani, 32, and Shankar Pannalal Bhaat, 38. The wanted accused are Narayan Baghel, Subhash Salat and Meena Rathod.

Police officials said that Baghel, who has four daughters and a son, was the mastermind of the racket. His daughter Dipali would take care of the money while his sons-in-law Ravi, Shankar and Subhash would help him in the actual committing of the crime. Meena Rathod is Ravi’s aunt, and she was present in the jewellery shop in Zaveri Bazaar when Narayan and Subhash came to sell fake gold.

Dipali and Shankar were arrested on Monday and are in police custody till November 23. Ravi and Dharma, who were arrested on November 14, are in judicial custody.