Mumbai: Agripada Police have arrested two jewellers for duping people to the tune of Rs 35 lakh. The accused brothers have been identified as Praveen (35) and Bhanwarlal Rawal. The brothers would entice customers by asking them to invest in their gold schemes, promising high returns. As of now, 11 people have approached police with their complaints.
According to police, the Rawals had a jewellery shop, Ranuja Jewellers, in Agripada. Locals trusted the brothers as they had been in business for years. From time to time, the brothers would ask locals to invest in various schemes, tempting them with the promise of high returns.
A 34-year-old lady from Lower Parel gave her old gold jewellery, weighing 15 grams, to the duo in February 2017 to have a new 'mangalsutra' made, for which she was paying monthly instalments as well. After more than a year of making payments, she asked when her new ornament would be ready but the duo put her off with false promises each time. Last November, when she tried to call the brothers, their numbers were switched off. Alarmed, she went to the store, only to see a marble shop there, where Ranuja once stood.
The woman then approached Agripada Police and registered an offence. During investigation, police learnt that the duo had duped many others in a similar way. On August 9, police received a tip-off, after which both brothers were arrested.
