Mumbai: The Mumbai Crime Branch’s Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) has arrested two former employees of a jewellery shop in Dubai in connection with an alleged extortion and death-threat case involving a demand of ₹50 lakh. Former cashier Ajay Bharatbhai Pathar was arrested from Amreli in Gujarat, while former shop in-charge Subrato Dhaniram Barman was arrested from Darjeeling in West Bengal.
Court Grants Police Custody
Both accused were produced before the Esplanade Court, which remanded them in police custody for one day. According to the police, the complainant, Devendra Vinodray Dhanak, 51, a resident of Borivali West and executive manager at Kanz Aldera Jewellery at Dubai’s Deira Gold Souk, was in Worli on September 28 when he allegedly received a threatening call from Barman and Pathar. The accused allegedly demanded ₹50 lakh and threatened to kill him.
The complaint was initially registered with the local police, following which the investigation was taken over by the Crime Branch’s CIU. According to the complaint, Barman was working as the shop in-charge and Pathar as a cashier at Kanz Aldera Jewellery, which operates 13 branches in Dubai. The two allegedly fled Dubai after committing the suspected offence.
470 Grams Gold Allegedly Siphoned
The complaint alleges that the accused siphoned off 470 grams of genuine gold jewellery worth approximately ₹55 lakh and replaced it with imitation ornaments of matching weight. The alleged substitution came to light in June, when both employees were absent and other staff members temporarily handling their duties noticed discrepancies in the stock.
The jewellery from the damaged and cutter sections was subsequently tested using a karat meter, which allegedly revealed that ornaments recorded as 470 grams of gold were actually made of imitation metal. According to the complaint, Barman would allegedly remove genuine gold chains from the showroom and present them as old gold brought in by customers. Pathar allegedly assisted in processing the transactions, following which the two allegedly shared the proceeds.
Matching Weight Used To Conceal Loss
The complaint further alleges that on the following day, imitation ornaments made of brass or another metal, but weighing the same as the missing gold, were placed in the damaged-jewellery box. The matching weight allegedly helped conceal the substitution during stock verification.
Dhanak has alleged that the suspected operation continued for four to five months, with the proceeds allegedly transferred to a bank account belonging to Pathar’s father. However, the role, if any, of the account holder in the alleged transactions is yet to be established.
Dubai Complaint Followed By Threats
Following a complaint lodged by the jewellery company at Naif Police Station in Dubai, Dhanak allegedly began receiving threats. According to his statement, on September 28, while he was in Worli, Barman allegedly called him, abused him over the complaint and demanded ₹50 lakh within two days.
The caller allegedly referred to his presence in the Naxalbari area of West Bengal and claimed that the police would not be able to take action against him. He also allegedly threatened to kill Dhanak and warned that his associates could make another one kilogram of gold disappear from the showroom.
Mumbai Police have registered a case concerning allegations of cheating, criminal breach of trust, extortion, criminal conspiracy and criminal intimidation. The CIU is now investigating the alleged gold substitution, the transfer of the proceeds and the subsequent threatening calls.
Police are also probing the accused persons’ movements after they allegedly left Dubai and are verifying the financial transactions linked to the suspected gold theft.
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