Mumbai: The Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) police have arrested another accused in the diamond merchants cheating case on Thursday night for his role in decamping with diamonds worth Rs 30 crore. Police arrested Imran Khan, 36, from his residence in Vasai after his role in the cheating case was established by police. Police said, Khan had helped the two accused, Ketan Parmar and Yatish Khichadiya, who cheated the diamond merchants to the tune of Rs 30 crore. While Parmar has been arrested, Khichadiya is still on the run.
BKC Police said Khan’s name was earlier reflected in the Call Data Records of the arrested accused, Parmar, and was called in for questioning in the matter. However, police had no substantial evidence against him then and had to let him go. Further investigation of Parmar revealed Khan’s role in the crime was to formulate the entire plan and he helped Parmar and Khichadiya to execute the theft. As remuneration for his role in the planning, the two main accused had promised him a cut from the diamond consignment.
After police gathered enough evidence against him, Khan was arrested from his Vasai residence on Thursday night. During the questioning, Khan revealed he had kept some diamonds with him and then helped Parmar and Khichadiya to flee from the city. A senior police officer said, “We have recovered only 20 per cent of the stolen diamonds while the rest is yet to be recovered. The accused are not co-operating with the investigation and are trying to hide all the details which might land them in a soup.”
According to the police sources, the mastermind, Khichadiya, who works for a reputed diamond trader of the BKC vicinity, had approached all those 25 victims claiming to sell their diamonds at the market to other buyers at a very profitable rate. On December 11, he collected the diamonds from all the traders and promised to crack a fair deal for all of them. After getting the diamonds, Khichadiya switched off his cell phone and managed to disappear. All the traders tried to reach him through several ways but in vain and later on December 18, a complaint was lodged against him.
