Since the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to withdraw the ₹2,000 denomination banknotes from circulation, fraudsters are duping people trying to exchange their money. A jewellery shop owner from Zaveri Bazaar was duped to the tune of ₹42 lakh by two brothers who posed as gold jewellery designers and offered a deal to exchange ₹2,000 notes. The duo said to the police that they were under the impression that the jeweller wouldn't make a case out of it since the notes were deemed ‘invalid’.
Victim approached police on May 22
The matter surfaced on May 22, when shop owner Manish Soni, 44, approached the LT Marg Police alleging that he was defrauded by two men. According to Soni, he had attended an international jewellery show in Hyderabad. There, he was approached by one Hukumsingh, who claimed to be a gold jewellery designer based in Kalbadevi. Hukumsingh showed Soni a variety of jewellery designs that he had personally made and said that he was looking for a retailer to sell them. Impressed by the vast collection, Soni told him he was interested in buying them.
They struck a deal of ₹50 lakh in exchange for gold jewellery. Soni was told that a man will come to his shop, collect the cash and hand over the designer pieces to him. It was mutually agreed that ₹42 lakh will be paid in cash and the remaining ₹8 lakh will be paid after the exchange of the gold.
Man came to collect cash, promised to return in an hour
On May 22, a man came over and collected the cash, promising to return in an hour but did not turn up. Soni had paid ₹42 lakh in ₹2,000 denominations. After the accused went incommunicado, the aggrieved realised that he was duped.
Two arrested from Rajasthan
Following technical investigations, the police arrested the duo on May 28 from Jalore in Rajasthan. Hukumsingh Rajput, 25, and his brother Chhatarsingh, 20, are actually gold merchants. During the interrogation, the duo confessed that they were confident of not being caught, thinking Soni wouldn't complain, fearing action for having ₹2,000 notes.
They were remanded to police custody till Friday.
