‘Dacoit dadis’ gang cheats Mumbai homemakers by selling fake gold

According to police, the accused roam housing societies selling desi ghee, curd, and buttermilk to gain the trust of residents. Once friendly relations are established, they claim that gold was found during excavation work in agricultural fields in their native village and offer to sell it cheaply. To convince victims, they initially provide a small sample of genuine gold.

Family duped

In the Charkop case, the accused first gave a 56-year-old widow a one-gram gold coin, which a jeweller confirmed to be genuine. Gaining confidence, the victim later paid Rs 6 lakh for what she was told was half a kilogram of gold in the form of thin biscuits. However, these were later found to be made of brass and copper.

Realising she had been duped, the woman approached the Charkop police station. Police teams from Charkop and Palghar have launched a search operation to trace the accused. “The accused sell dairy products, such as desi ghee, curd, and buttermilk, that are pure and priced lower than the market rate, building trust,” a police officer said.

Meenadevi Chauhan, her son Durga Prasad, and his wife Rinki, residents of Charkop, Kandivli West who were duped by the gang. PICS/SAMIULLAH KHAN

Speaking to mid-day, the complainant, Meenadevi Chauhan, said, “I first met the women on June 18, when they came to my housing society to sell desi ghee, curd, and buttermilk. Apart from me, several other residents also bought dairy products from them. The quality of the ghee was very good, and they started visiting regularly to sell it. During this period, I purchased around five kilogrammes of ghee from them.”

Chauhan added, “During our conversations, they told me they were residents of Palghar and had purchased several plots of land there. They claimed that while digging one such plot, they found nearly five kilogrammes of gold, which they were willing to sell.” “They also told me they could not sell the gold directly to a goldsmith or big trader, as it would alert the authorities and the government would seize the entire stash,” she added.

“On June 23, they came again and offered to sell me 250 grammes of gold for Rs 5 to Rs 6 lakh, which I refused. On June 24, to gain my trust, they gave me a one-gramme gold coin. I sold it to a goldsmith for Rs 10,000 and later returned the amount to them,” Chauhan said.

Fake gold biscuits sold by the accused, who they claim they had excavated them from a field in Palghar which they own 

She further stated, “On July 18, after I received Rs 6 lakh in cash from a family acquaintance, the two women again came to my house and convinced me to buy gold. I handed over the entire amount and was given gold biscuits. Later the same day, when I showed the biscuits to a jeweller which were fake.”

“The gold sample that was given to me initially and the fake gold that was later handed over looked exactly the same. That is why I believed the latter was genuine. I thought that selling the gold would help me secure my old age, but I never imagined that I would be cheated in this manner. I have complete faith in God and the police that those women will be caught and my money will be recovered,” she added.

Son’s account

Durga Prasad Chauhan, son of the victim, told mid-day that the Rs 6 lakh handed over to the accused woman was money his late father had lent to someone nearly 14 years ago and was recently returned to his mother. “I was not aware that my mother had received this amount. My mother and wife had informed me that a few women were visiting the house and talking about selling gold. I had clearly warned them not to proceed and had even asked them to take photographs of the women,” he said.

Durga Prasad’s wife, Rinki, added that when the family asked the women for their mobile numbers, they claimed they did not use mobile phones, saying that phones could ‘blast’. “When I tried to take their photographs, they initially refused and attempted to leave. Despite this, I managed to click a photo of one of them, which has been handed over to the police,” she said.

Cop Speak

Senior Inspector Vinayak Chauhan, Charkop police station, said, “During the investigation, we learnt that these women had carried out similar cheating incidents in North Mumbai, the western suburbs, and other areas. We have circulated their photographs to police stations across Mumbai as well as outside the city. A case has been registered under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and further investigation is underway.” The police have urged citizens, especially senior citizens and homemakers, to remain vigilant and avoid falling for such “too-good-to-be-true” offers involving gold or valuables.

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