Jewellery maker duped of ₹3.68 crore by store owner

MUMBAI: A 55-year-old businessman was duped of ₹3.68 crore by a Navi Mumbai resident who promised to give him a gold biscuit of 24 carat in exchange for 22 carat gold jewellery. According to police, the accused, who runs a jewellery shop in south Mumbai neither gave the victim the biscuit nor any money.

The complainant, R Dhiliwal, runs a jewellery-making company in Malad. Dhiliwal told the police that he was introduced to one Vijay Singh through a common friend in 2023. Singh lives in Navi Mumbai and runs a jewellery shop in Kalbadevi Road.

In May 2024, Singh showed interest in wanting to buy 22 carat gold jewellery from Dhiliwal and promised that he will give him 24 carat gold biscuit in return. It was discussed that if the complainant would give 100 grams of 22 carat gold jewellery then Singh in exchange would give 24 carat gold biscuits weighing 94 grams in 10 days, mentioned in the FIR.

The complainant believes that he was a gold trader and told his employee in the company to do business with him. The suspect allegedly took gold ornaments like ear tops, ladies’ bracelets, ladies’ rings, men’s rings and mangal sutra pandal jewellery weighing 2673.750 grams in May, later in June, Singh bought few other gold ornaments weighing 1497.790 grams total of 4 kg 850 grams jewellery of 22-carat purity. As per the discussion, Singh was supposed to give gold biscuits within 10 to 15 days. The complainant started asking Singh to give gold biscuits but he refused saying that due to rain the market was down so he would give gold biscuits in a few days, as mentioned in the FIR.

After two months when Singh did not give a biscuit and not even money the complainant said that he would approach Malad and register a case then, the suspect gave a deadline of a month saying that he would return his jewellery or give him money. But when he did not return his jewellery and was not given his money, he approached the Malad police and registered a case against Singh.

“Based on the complaint we have registered a case under sections 406 and 420 of the IPC against Singh. As of now no one has been arrested in the case but investigation is going on, said a police officer of the Malad police station.