A bullion trader in Gujarat was duped to the tune of Rs 1.6 crore in Ahmedabad, the city police said on Sunday, adding that the matter came to light when the victim, a bullion trade firm owner, realised that the currency notes carried the image of actor Anupam Kher instead of Mahatma Gandhi.
A case of cheating has been registered against unidentified persons for allegedly duping the bullion firm owner of Rs 1.60 crore by handing over fake currency notes with pictures of actor Anupam Kher, police added.
Officials said the case has been registered on the basis of a complaint lodged by Mehul Thakkar, who runs a bullion firm in Manek Chowk area of Ahmedabad.
According to the police, the accused set up an elaborate trap to fleece the victim. They first approached the bullion firm trader saying they wanted to buy 2,100 grams of gold and wanted it delivered at a courier firm on CG Road in Navrangpura area on September 24.
As per the police, Thakkar sent his employees with the gold at the office where the two accused were present. Thakkar’s employees delivered the gold and the accused gave them a plastic cover which they claimed had Rs 1.3 crore in cash.
After handing over the said fake currency notes, the accused provided them with a counting machine to count the cash. In the meantime, the two accused fled the office with the gold on the pretext of collecting the remaining amount of Rs 30 lakh from an adjoining shop.
Once Thakkar’s employees opened the plastic cover, they found fake notes in it. A case has been registered at the Navrangpura police station.
Inspector AA Desai told The Indian Express that even the courier firm where the delivery of gold happened was fake without any registered rent agreement.
“They had taken the shop on rent and put a fake board of the courier firm there while promising the land lord to sign the rent agreement in a day or two. The currency notes they delivered were fake with pictures of Anupam Kher on it,” the official said.
Police said that an investigation into the matter is underway and a hunt is on for the accused. No arrests have been made in the matter so far.