Nagpur, December 26: A fraudster posing as the chief security officer of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari duped two jewellers in Nagpur of over INR 7.50 lakh on Wednesday, December 25. The accused, identified as Rajbir Chawala, approached several jewellery shops in the Dharampeth area, claiming to be sent by Gadkari to purchase gold for a function. He successfully made off with jewellery worth lakhs by providing counterfeit cheques. Police have since launched an investigation to identify and apprehend the suspect.

According to the Times of India report, the fraud came to light when a third bullion trader, who had also been targeted by the accused, raised an alarm. After being approached by the same man claiming to be Gadkari's security officer, the trader became suspicious and contacted Gadkari’s office. It was then discovered that no one by that name worked there. Alarmed by this revelation, the trader shared the photo of the suspect from CCTV footage in bullion traders' social media groups, which quickly alerted the community to the scam. Share Trading Fraud in Nagpur: Retired Bank Employee Loses Rs 87.6 Lakh to Cyber Fraudsters in Online Investment Scam.

The accused, Rajbir Chawala, in his late 30s, had initially visited a prominent jewellery shop in Dharampeth, where he successfully bought gold jewellery worth INR 5 lakh by issuing a counterfeit cheque. He then moved to another shop, repeating the same story and walking away with gold worth INR 2.57 lakh. At the third shop, his attempt to pay with a cheque raised suspicions, prompting the owner to verify his credentials, which led to the discovery of the fraud. Crypto Fraud: MBA Student in Nagpur Promised Lucrative Returns in Cryptocurrency Investments by 'Advisor' on Telegram, Loses Rs 23 Lakh.

Following the reports, Ambazari police initiated a swift investigation. They tracked down the car used by the suspect, which was rented, and checked CCTV footage to uncover his movements. The police discovered that he had been staying at a hotel on Central Avenue, and evidence suggested he might be from New Delhi.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 26, 2024 02:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).