According to police officials, the incident took place on June 22 in the Chakala area of Andheri East. The complainant, who owns a jewellery store, had introduced a scheme allowing customers to release previously mortgaged gold and remortgage it to obtain fresh loans
A traceable hallmark was all it took to unearth the fraud. Representation pic/istock
A 37-year-old man’s overconfidence landed him behind bars after he used two gold rings — marked with a Hallmark Unique Identification number — to con a jeweller in Andheri. Those very rings ended up becoming the key clue that helped police trace and arrest him. The accused, Farhan Nasibdar Shah, a resident of Kurla, allegedly defrauded a jeweller of Rs 6 lakh under the pretext of a gold loan scheme. His accomplice, Parvez Shah, is currently absconding and being actively hunted by the police.
The con
According to police officials, the incident took place on June 22 in the Chakala area of Andheri East. The complainant, who owns a jewellery store, had introduced a scheme allowing customers to release previously mortgaged gold and remortgage it to obtain fresh loans. Exploiting this scheme, the duo approached the jeweller. One of them posed as a jeweller with whom the other had allegedly mortgaged his jewellery, claiming they wished to transfer an existing gold loan. They took Rs 6 lakh in cash from the victim but never deposited any gold as collateral.
Cops used the unique hallmark ID to trace the duo. Representation pic/istock
To gain the jeweller’s trust, the man posing as a fellow jeweller handed over two gold rings without accepting payment and promised to deliver the remaining jewellery against the R6 lakh, a tactic that convinced the victim the deal was legitimate. However, once they received the money, both men fled. When the promised gold didn’t arrive, the jeweller realised he had been duped and filed a complaint at the Andheri police station.
The hallmark clue
The investigation was led under the guidance of DCP (Zone 10) Dattatray Nalawade, Senior Inspector Umesh Machhindra, and PI (Crime) Vinod Patil. The detection team was headed by PSI Samadhan Supe and included officers Arvind Pawar, Maruti Surnar, Pravin Kamble, Bhaskar Gaikwad, Manesh Kambari, Vishal Pisal (Technical Assistance), and constables Vinayak Gawli, Hari Shinde, Datta Tarke, and Vasant Narbat. CCTV footage from June 20 and 22 showed the accused visiting the jewellery shop, pretending to inquire about gold rates and building rapport with the owner.
A police officer said, “The accused handed over two gold rings without collecting payment to win the jeweller’s confidence. The mobile number they used was traced through call detail records (CDR), but it had been deactivated right after the con.” A breakthrough came when the complainant mentioned that he had bought two gold rings from the accused on June 20. Investigators tracked the origin of the rings using their Hallmark Unique Identification numbers, which led them to a jewellery store in Kurla. It was confirmed that Parvez Shah had purchased the rings there, partially paying online.
Following this lead, police tracked down Farhan Shah, who was arrested and brought to the Andheri police station. He confessed to the crime, and officers recovered the entire defrauded sum of R6 lakh in cash from his possession. Kumar Jain, National Spokesperson, Indian Bullion and Jewellers Association, said, “A hallmark indicates the purity and authenticity of gold. It helps identify the jeweller and manufacturer, giving buyers confidence. Most jewellers now use hallmarked gold, which builds customer trust.”
Hallmark Unique Identification Numbers explained
Every piece of hallmarked gold jewellery in India now comes with a Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number, introduced by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
What is it?
A six-digit alphanumeric code laser-inscribed on each hallmarked item, along with the BIS logo and the purity of the metal (Example: 22K).
Why is it important?
The HUID ensures authenticity, traceability, and quality assurance. It allows authorities or buyers to verify the origin of a piece and track where and when it was hallmarked.
How HUID helped in this case:
Cops used HUID on the gold ring sold by the accused to trace it back to the original jewellery store, cracking open the fraud.
What is a hallmark UID?
Every piece of hallmarked gold jewellery in India now comes with a Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number, introduced by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). In this case, it helped the cops trace the rings back to the original jewellery store, easily uncovering the fraud
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