Two men have been taken into custody by the Chikhali Police for allegedly defrauding 44 victims out of over Rs1 crore through a fraudulent gold mortgage scheme. The scam reportedly took place between October 20, 2023, and September 25, 2024, at Siddhivinayak Jewellers in Chikhali.
The arrested individuals, Ganesh Ananda Hake and Dinesh Ananda Hake, both from Chinchwad, face charges under Sections 318(4) and 316(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), as well as Section 3 of the Maharashtra Protection of Interests of Depositors (Financial Institutions) Act. The complaint was lodged by Santosh Mahadev Thorat, a resident of Kiwale, on October 15, 2024.
According to the Pimpri Chinchwad Police, the accused deceived victims by offering loans at lower interest rates compared to traditional banks, in exchange for mortgaged gold jewelry. They managed to acquire gold and ornaments valued at Rs1,52,60,000, weighing a total of 218 tolas.
The suspects are alleged to have absconded with the mortgaged items, and in several cases, they took the principal amounts paid by victims without returning their gold. The Chikhali Police are currently investigating the matter.
