VASCO
Verna police on Wednesday arrested two persons on charges of duping a Margao-based resident to the tune of Rs 5 lakh by offering fake gold.
Verna police have also issued a notice to another woman who is allegedly involved in the crime.
Speaking to media, Verna PI Diago Gracias said two persons Ravi Solanki (33) of Kalyan-Maharashtra and Ishwar Gujrati (33) of Pune Maharashtra were arrested under Section 420 read with 34 IPC while a notice under CrPC 41 has been issued to a woman from Kalyan-Maharashtra to cooperate in the investigation.
"We received a complaint from one Manoj Singh (30) of Gogol-Margao stating that in December 2022, the accused persons went to his shop at Verna and told him that they had found a pot of gold while digging in Ratnagiri and that they wanted to sell the gold.
They initially said the gold was worth Rs 20 lakh, but when the complainant expressed his inability to buy the gold, they further persuaded him to buy the gold in 4 instalments of Rs 5 lakh each.
The complainant again refused to buy the gold and finally the accused induced him to buy the gold for Rs 5 lakh. The complainant finally paid the amount and took the gold only to realise that the gold was fake after checking with the goldsmith.
We have also attached around 2.8 kg of fake gold that was used in the crime," said PI Gracias.
PSI Anand Gaonkar of Verna Police station is carrying out further investigation under the supervision of PI Diago Gracias and guidance of Mormugao DySP Salim Shaikh.
