7 booked for Rs 1cr fraud

Rajkot: Seven fraudsters from Mumbai and Rajkot were booked on Sunday for allegedly duping seven Rajkot-based jewellers of Rs 1.33 crore.
According to the complaint lodged by Bipin Talpada, a resident of Sitaram Society on Pedak Road in Rajkot, Yashpal Chauhan, Ketan Panchal and Khemraj Bhatt, all residents of Mira Road suburb in Mumbai, Haresh Soni, Nilesh Soni and Shailesh Soni from Rajkot, and Rasik Unghad from Gandhidham in Kutch district, had committed the fraud.

According to the police, the accused had presented themselves as leading businessmen from Mumbai before Talpada and six of his friends from his circle of businessmen. The accused initially bought jewellery from the victims and made payment to win their confidence. Then they bought jewellery, worth Rs 1.21 crore, from them, promising them that they would make payment later.

“However, the accused allegedly reneged on their promise and siphoned off the jewellery.

Meanwhile, Bhatt from Mumbai arrived to meet the victims in Rajkot. Identifying himself as a cop from Mumbai police, Bhatt told the victims that he would get them back their jewellery, but would charge them Rs 12 lakh. The unsuspecting victims paid him Rs 12 lakh. After taking the money, Bhatt allegedly became untraceable,” said an official from Rajkot B-Division police station.