Jeweller in Ahmedabad duped by fraudster posing as gold chain seller

A jeweller in Ahmedabad was allegedly cheated of two gold bars and  ₹7,650 cash after being tricked into exchanging a gold-plated alloy chain for two genuine gold bars, police said on Sunday.

According to a complaint lodged at the Anandnagar police station by Ketul Shah (33), proprietor of Zhanjar Jewellers, the incident took place on May 30 at around 2.30 pm at his shop located at Dhananjay Tower near Shyamal Cross Road.

In his complaint, Shah stated that a man identifying himself as Rajeshbhai Bhalodia, a resident of Rajkot, approached the shop with a gold chain weighing 18.540 grams. Claiming that he wished to exchange the chain for gold bars, he convinced Shah to weigh and test the chain.

Shah and his employee, Vishnu Desai, checked the chain on an electric touch machine and believed it to be genuine. Trusting the man’s assurances, they handed over two 24-carat gold bars—one weighing 5 grams and the other 10 grams—worth ₹1.49 lakh  in total, along with an additional cash payment of ₹7,650.

Later that evening, Shah received a photograph of Bhalodia in his jewellers’ association WhatsApp group, cautioning members about his fraudulent activities. Suspecting foul play, Shah re-examined the chain and discovered it was only partially gold—about 45% gold and 55% other metals.

After which Shah approached the Anandnagar police station. Based on his complaint, the police have registered a case and initiated an investigation to trace the accused.