Surat Police Arrest Woman and Lover for Cheating Jeweler of Rs 12.38 Lakh

Surat : The Surat police have made a significant breakthrough in a case of fraud, apprehending a woman and her lover from Ambaji on charges of cheating a local jeweler for a substantial sum of Rs 12.38 lakh. The accused, identified as Hetal Patel, allegedly posed as a deputy collector from Gandhinagar to perpetrate the deception, further complicating the scheme by providing false references and fabricated documents.

The incident unfolded on March 31 when Hetal Patel visited Chamunda Jewellers, owned by Lakha Rabari, situated at Maan Darwaja in Surat. Presenting herself as a deputy collector stationed at Gandhinagar Sachivalaya and residing in Navsari, Hetal Patel purportedly purchased jewelry articles worth Rs 12.38 lakh and tendered two post-dated cheques to the jeweler as payment.

To bolster her facade of authority, Hetal Patel had previously filed a complaint at the Saroli police station on March 29, alleging that her mobile phone was snatched by two motorcycle-borne assailants on the Surat-Kadodara road. Leveraging this complaint, Hetal Patel presented herself as the deputy collector from Gandhinagar and provided a copy of the complaint to the jeweler, ostensibly to gain his trust.

Upon receiving confirmation from the Saroli police station regarding the reported incident, the jeweler was reassured and proceeded to release the jewelry to Hetal Patel, accepting the post-dated cheques as payment. However, the jeweler’s confidence was shattered when the deposited cheques were revealed to be fraudulent, leading to a loss of Rs 12.38 lakh.

Subsequent investigations by the Salabatpura police station uncovered crucial evidence, including CCTV footage from the jewelry shop, indicating that Hetal Patel and her accomplice, Jitendra Patel, hailing from Banaskantha, had absconded to Ambaji temple. The swift action by the police culminated in the arrest of the duo from Ambaji temple premises.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Bhagirath Gadhvi revealed that interrogation of the accused unveiled that Hetal Patel was in a live-in relationship with Jitendra Patel. The duo had allegedly sold the stolen jewelry and purchased a new car with the proceeds. The police have since recovered the car and Rs 1 lakh in cash from the accused, while further investigations are underway to unravel the full extent of their illicit activities.