Mumbai man cheated by ‘startup investors’, loses gold worth Rs 1.5 lakh

Police officers said the accused’s step-by-step approach fits a typical confidence-building pattern. Representation pic/istock

A morning jog at Shivaji Park turned into a costly deception for Kiran More, a 34-year-old Matunga East resident, who police say was duped of gold jewellery worth Rs 1.5 lakh by two men posing as business partners who spent three days building trust before disappearing from a Bandra pub.

Case snapshot

Complainant: Kiran More, 34
Family: Wife and 10-year-old daughter
Names used by duo: Sanjay Singh and Abhay
Value of stolen jewellery: Rs 1.5 lakh

Police investigation

>> FIR registered at Shivaji Park police station
>> CCTV footage collected from the park and the pub
>> Accused are yet to be identified
"We have CCTV footage on," a police officer said

How the con began

Feb 18, 9 am: More, on his routine exercise round at Shivaji Park, Dadar, asked two men on a nearby bench for a pen.

A casual chat followed, then a discussion about his part-time sportswear venture. The men offered to help expand it.Numbers were exchanged

Feb 19-20: Meeting plans were made

Feb 21, 2 pm: Bandra West

Meeting at a gym, then a discussion at a pub in Pali Hill

At the pub
Suspect sprays perfume on More, claims relatives are arriving, borrows More's chain and ring

Minutes later
Steps out, claiming he would bring his relatives, never returns, and switches off the phone

How trust was built

>> Follow-up calls
>> Plans where meeting locations were shifted
>> Lengthy business discussions
>> Police say this step-by-step approach fits a typical confidence-building pattern