RAIPUR Police have busted an inter-state fraud gang with the arrest of three persons accused of cheating people by selling brass necklaces falsely claimed to be ancient gold ornaments discovered during excavation from Mumbai. Police registered three separate cases in connection with the frauds at New Rajendra Nagar, Telibandha and D D Nagar police stations under Sections 318(4) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The victims were allegedly duped of more than Rs 22.5 lakh using a similar modus operandi. In the first case, Mahesh Kanaskar reported that he was approached by a man posing as a daily wage labourer who claimed to have found old coins and a gold necklace during excavation near Colors Mall. The accused later introduced a woman as his mother and convinced the victim to purchase the necklace by first providing genuine gold samples for testing. Believing the necklace to be authentic, the victim paid Rs 2.5 lakh in cash. However, the ornament was later found to be made entirely of copper. In another case, Yash Motwani, who runs a mobile accessories shop, alleged that he was contacted by a man offering to sell an ancient gold necklace allegedly found during excavation. After two samples tested positive for gold, he purchased the necklace for Rs 10 lakh. Subsequent examination revealed that the necklace was made of brass. A similar complaint was lodged by Dhawal Badodaria at DD Nagar Police Station.

 

He alleged that a man introduced as Rajesh Prajapati, along with a woman posing as his mother, sold him a purported two-kilogram gold necklace for Rs 10 lakh after providing genuine gold samples for testing. The necklace was later found to be fake. Technical analysis of the mobile numbers used by the accused, along with information gathered through informants, led investigators to Mumbai. A police team was dispatched to Maharashtra, where the main accused, Shambhu Rai, along with two women, was detained and later arrested. During interrogation, Shambhu Rai allegedly disclosed that Geeta Gujarati was his aunt and Shanti Gujarati was a neighbour. He admitted that the women were introduced to victims as relatives, including his mother, to build credibility before committing the frauds. Police said the accused confessed to operating similar scams in several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Maharashtra, allegedly cheating victims of crores of rupees. Investigators believe the gang had evaded arrest by constantly changing locations. The three arrested accused have been identified as Shambhu Rai, 36, Geeta Gujarati, about 40, and Shanti Gujarati, 35, all residents of Govindpur in Kanpur Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh. Police seized Rs 9 lakh in cash, 12 silver coins, several brass ornaments, four mobile phones allegedly used in the crimes and four fake Aadhaar cards recovered from the possession of the main accused. The total value of the seized property is estimated at around Rs 12 lakh.