Mumbai Diamond Fraud: French Tourist Allegedly Duped Of ₹98 Lakh, Given Lab-Grown Diamond; BKC Police Book LLP Representative

Mumbai: The BKC police have registered a case against Rimesh Shah, a legal representative of Sheetal Solitaire LLP, for allegedly cheating a French woman of nearly Rs 98 lakh in connection with the purchase of a diamond.

According to the FIR, the complaint was filed through the woman’s legal representative, advocate Mangesh Mukund Deokar Bhosale; the complainant, Mallika Aptisi, a resident of Paris, visited Mumbai as a tourist between August 8 and 13, 2023. During her visit, she approached Sheetal Solitaire LLP, located at the Bharat Diamond Bourse in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), to purchase a diamond.

Also Watch:

On August 11, 2023, Aptisi allegedly visited the company’s office and selected a 5.05-carat, IGI-certified, round-cut and polished diamond, with an IF/H clarity and colour grade. A representative of the company allegedly assured her that the diamond would be delivered to her residential address in Paris within a week.

Based on the assurance, Aptisi made an online payment of USD 117,338, equivalent to approximately Rs 98 lakh at the time, to the company’s IndusInd Bank account. She was allegedly issued a receipt for the transaction.

After returning to Paris, Aptisi waited for the diamond but did not receive it. She subsequently followed up with the company.

According to the complaint, Shah contacted Aptisi through WhatsApp on September 13, 2023, and allegedly told her that she would have to travel to Milan, Italy, to collect the diamond. When she said that she could not travel to Milan, Shah allegedly provided her with the contact details of an Italian representative, identified as Ali Sater of Sater Diamonds.

Aptisi then contacted Sater, who allegedly told her that she would have to pay an additional amount of around Rs 44 lakh towards VAT if she wanted the diamond delivered to her Paris address. Aptisi allegedly told him that she had not been informed about any additional tax or delivery charges when she purchased the diamond.

She subsequently contacted Shah and allegedly expressed her suspicion that she was being extorted and threatened to approach the police. Shah allegedly reiterated that she would have to pay additional taxes for delivery of the diamond.

Later, on October 24, 2023, Shah allegedly demanded another USD 800 as shipment charges. Despite repeated requests, the diamond was allegedly not delivered to Aptisi.

Based on the complaint, the BKC police have registered a case against Shah under section 318 (4) (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on August 19. However, the diamond was allegedly delivered to Aptisi through a courier only on February 19, 2025, nearly 18 months after the purchase.

Aptisi subsequently had the diamond examined at the Laboratoire Français de Gemmologie in France to verify its authenticity. According to the complaint, a report issued by the laboratory on February 26, 2025, stated that the diamond was not a natural diamond but had been artificially created using the Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) method. Based on the report, Aptisi alleged that she had been cheated by being supplied a laboratory-grown diamond instead of the diamond she had purchased.

To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/