In a shocking case of deception, Muradnagar police on Tuesday arrested a married couple who allegedly defrauded a woman of Rs10 lakh by selling her fake gold, claiming it was an “excavated treasure.”
The accused, identified as Jeeva (60) and his wife Jama (55), are residents of Meerut. They were caught near the Ganga River in Muradnagar based on CCTV footage and surveillance, said DCP (Rural) Surendra Nath Tiwari.
The case was registered following a complaint by a woman named Surbhi, who reported that on May 8, the couple convinced her to buy what they claimed was ancient, excavated gold jewellery at a cheap price. She later discovered the gold was fake and filed a complaint the next day.
Police initially booked the case under Section 318(2) (cheating) and Section 303(3) (theft) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). After the arrest and recovery, Section 317(2) (dishonestly receiving stolen property) was also added.
From the couple’s possession, police recovered:
1.9 kg of yellow metal jewellery (fake)
Cash worth ₹10,000
Fake gold necklaces, marked with black thread and containing one real gold bead used as bait
During interrogation, Jeeva and Jama confessed to running this scam for over 20 years. Their technique involved inserting a real gold bead into a fake necklace, marking it with a black thread, and using that as a “sample” to build trust. After the sale, they would go underground for three months before resurfacing in a new area.
When questioned about the source of the gold, they claimed it was found while digging at home, a story they used to justify the low prices and gain sympathy.
This is reportedly the first time the couple has been caught, despite decades of criminal activity.
