Absconded jeweller Nirav Modi who is on the run in multi-crore PNB bank fraud case, has allegedly sold a fake diamond ring to a Canadian worth $200,000 in Hong Kong. According to a report in South China Morning Post, the Canadian, Paul Alfonso, unaware of Nirav’s multi-crore scam bought the ring to propose his girlfriend, however, the celebration was short-lived after they found that the diamonds were fake.
As per the report, Paul met Nirav in 2012 during the centennial celebrations for the Beverly Hills hotel. After a month, the duo again bumped into each other in Malibu and the two had a dinner together. Paul said, he had a good connection with Modi, who then started admiring him. Since then, the two didn’t meet and lost touch but in April 2018, Paul, totally unaware of Nirav’s involvement in scam, mailed him asking for a special engagement ring with a budget of $100,000 as he was supposed to present it to his girlfriend. After which, Nirav offered him a $120,000, 3.2-carat round brilliant diamond cut, D colour, VVS1 – a high-quality grade and colourless stone.
However, Paul showed interest in another design and ordered a second ring of a 2.5-carat oval diamond ring worth $80,000 from Nirav which he received in July. But in August, Paul received the shocker of his life as when his fiance took the ring to an appraiser, the couple found that the ring is fake. This incident led to a break up of the two. Meanwhile, as of now, Alfonso has filed an unlimited civil lawsuit against Nirav Modi in California and sued him for $4.2 million dollars.