Broker missing with ornaments worth Rs 18 cr, dupes 9 jewellers

NEW DELHI: A 37-year-old man, posing as a broker for jewellers in Karol Bagh, allegedly went missing with more than 40kg of gold and diamond jewellery worth Rs 18

NEW DELHI: A 37-year-old man, posing as a broker for jewellers in Karol Bagh, allegedly went missing with more than 40kg of gold and diamond jewellery worth Rs 18 crore.

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The man, Anuj, had reportedly rented a place in Karol Bagh as his office and won the trust of other jewellers in the neighbourhood by selling their jewellery at an extra price and earning them huge profits.

He also undertook jewellery repair work and collected jewellery items as samples to show to customers.

He also took commission for getting customers to the jewellers.

As he won the trust of the jewellers, they started giving him expensive jewellery for polishing, repair and as samples. It was only after he went missing for over a week, the jewellers realised that they have been conned.

“He wore branded clothes, wore a Rolex watch and had a sedan. He worked here with his uncles and brother. We can’t believe that he was actually a fraud,” said a jeweller from Regharpura area in Karol Bagh.

Paramaditya, DCP, central, said, “Apart from the complainant, eight more jewellers from Karol Bagh have come forward claiming that they were duped. The association has claimed that over 40kg of gold and diamond jewellery is missing, we are however, verifying their claims.”

The complainant told the police that Anuj suddenly switched his phone off in the first week of September and none of the jewellers could contact him.

Then, Anukul Das, a jeweller, who had given him more than 8kg of gold, went to his office to check on him. He met Anuj’s uncle who told him that he had gone to Mehandipur Balaji temple in Rajasthan and will be back in a couple of days. When Anukul went back to his office after a few days, the of fice door was locked.

“I realised that something was wrong and instantly went to our local jewellery association,” said Anukul.

The association members promptly travelled to Anuj’s home town in Haryana, where they met his uncle, who feigned ignorance about his nephew’s whereabouts.