Gujarat: 12 held for fake ED raid on jeweller, stealing cash and ornaments worth Rs 22.25 lakh

PTI, Dec 5, 2024, 5:20 PM IST

Twelve persons were arrested for allegedly pulling off a Bollywood-style fake Enforcement Directorate raid in Gujarat’s Gandhidham during which they stole cash and jewellery valued at Rs 22.25 lakh, a police official said on Thursday.

The incident took place at the premises of a jeweller on December 2, a release from East Kutch police said.

“They stole cash and jewellery worth Rs 22.25 lakh during this fake raid. After the businessman approached police, several teams were formed, leading to the arrest of Bharat Morvadia, Devayat Khachar, Abdulsattar Manjothi, Hitesh Thakkar, Vinod Chudasama, Eugene David, Ashish Mishra, Chandraraj Nair, Ajay Debey, Amit Mehta, his wife Nisha Mehta and Shalendra Desai,” the official said.

“Gold jewellery worth Rs 22.27 lakh has been recovered, while three cars have been seized. One Vipin Sharma, who was also part of the conspiracy, is yet to be nabbed. It was Gandhidham resident Morvadia who came with the idea of such a raid on Radhika Jewellers. He told his associate Khachar that the Income Tax department had raided this jeweller nearly six years ago and seized a large amount of cash and jewellery,” the release said.

Morvadia told Khachar that owners of Radhika Jewellers still possess properties worth Rs 100 crore, after which the latter roped in Manjothi, Hitesh Thakkar and Vinod Chudasama, it said.

“They met at a tea stall at Adipur town 15 days ago to prepare a plan to raid the firm by posing as ED officials. Chudasama then sought help of Mishra, who then roped in Ahmedabad residents Nair, Amit, Nisha, Vipin Sharma and Shailendra Desai, who works as a translator at the Divisional Railway Manager’s office in Ahmedabad,” said the release.

“Desai then prepared a fake ID card of an ED officer named Ankit Tiwari. The raiding team comprising Desai, Mishra, Nair, Dubey, Amit Mehta, Nisha Mehta and Vipin Sharma reached the jeweller’s showroom and house on December 2. During the fake raid, Nisha Mehta stole cash and jewellery worth Rs 25.25 lakh,” the official added.