In a significant breakthrough, Ahmedabad’s Zone-7 Local Crime Branch (LCB) arrested Ranjitbhai Jagmalbhai Bharwadia, the prime accused in a series of frauds involving fake gold exchanges at prominent jewellery stores.
The accused had allegedly duped multiple jewellers in the city by presenting gold-plated chains as genuine and exchanging them for real gold bars and cash.
Neelay Shaileshbhai Shah (30), owner of Gharana Jewellers on Makarba Road, reported that on March 24, Bharwadia approached his shop with a 19.180-gram gold chain and asked to exchange it for a redesigned ornament. After it was tested and deemed genuine, he requested a 17.450-gram gold bar instead and promised to return with the design. He never returned.
Weeks later, retesting revealed the chain was merely gold-plated, not solid gold. Shah registered a complaint on May 31.
On May 30, Ketul Shah (33), owner of Zhanjar Jewellers near Shyamal Cross Road, was similarly deceived. The accused used the name Rajeshbhai Bhalodia, presented an 18.540-gram chain, and received 15 grams of gold bars and Rs7,650 in cash.
Later that day, a warning circulated on the Jewellers’ Association WhatsApp group, exposing the fraud. Upon retesting, the chain was found to be only 45% gold, with the rest being base metal.
Following leads from both cases, Zone-7 LCB traced and arrested Ranjitbhai Bharwadia, confirming he used multiple aliases and forged documents to perpetrate the frauds.
He is currently in police custody as investigators continue to probe if there are more victims in Ahmedabad or other districts.
