In a shocking case of financial fraud, the Pydhonie police have registered an FIR against two individuals for allegedly impersonating a gold merchant, an excise officer, and a senior police officer to defraud a businessman of Rs1.25 crore.
The accused, Ashish Suresh Gayake, befriended the complainant, Waqas Abdul Shaikh, a 36-year-old gold trader from Thane, by posing as a gold merchant over the years. In 2023, Gayake convinced Shaikh that he could procure gold at a significantly discounted rate of Rs52,000 per 10 grams, much lower than the prevailing market price of Rs60,000 per 10 grams.
To make his story seem more legitimate, Gayake allegedly informed Shaikh that an excise officer named Anil Bagul and a senior officer from Vasind police, Aniket, had illegally trafficked gold. Gayake claimed that under the pretext of selling this ‘seized’ gold at a cheaper price, he accepted a total of Rs1.25 crore from Shaikh between June and September 2023. However, Gayake failed to deliver the promised gold and did not return the money, prompting Shaikh to file a complaint.
The Pydhonie police are currently investigating the case and have launched a manhunt for the accused.
