A shocking case of fraud has emerged from Kolkata's jewellery trade, where one jeweller allegedly duped another by providing fake gold biscuits in exchange for a genuine gold bar. The incident has sent ripples through the local business community and raised alarms about precious metal scams.
The Alleged Swap: Gold Bar for Counterfeit Biscuits
The complainant, identified as Samar Ray, a resident of Mahendra Nagar in North 24 Parganas, has filed a police report detailing the deception. According to the complaint, on November 20, Ray's employee, Manoj Pal, handed over a substantial 258.8 grams of gold to the accused jeweller.
In return for the genuine gold bar, Pal received what were supposed to be two gold biscuits from the accused. The transaction seemed straightforward at the time. However, the trust was severely misplaced.
Discovery of the Deception and Police Action
Upon later inspection, Samar Ray made a distressing discovery: the two biscuits were counterfeit. Realising he had been swindled, Ray immediately attempted to contact the accused jeweller to resolve the matter. All his efforts, however, proved futile as the accused became unreachable.
A police probe was launched following the complaint. Investigators soon found that the accused had fled from his rented residence in Rishra. During a subsequent raid at the premises, the accused's father surrendered several suspicious items to the police. These items were promptly seized as evidence for further examination in the ongoing case.
Rising Concerns Over Gold Frauds in the Region
This case has amplified existing concerns about the prevalence of fraud within the gold trade in and around Kolkata. Such scams not only cause significant financial loss to individual traders but also erode trust in the local jewellery business ecosystem.
Authorities have now intensified their search for the absconding accused. The incident serves as a stark reminder for businesses and individuals to exercise extreme caution and verify the authenticity of precious metals during transactions. The police are likely to use this case to scrutinise similar fraudulent activities in the sector more closely.
