A case of alleged fraud has surfaced from Haldwani’s Lamachaur area, where a jeweller reportedly fled with gold jewellery and cash worth several lakhs belonging to customers. Aggrieved customers, mostly women, have now approached the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Nainital, accusing the police of inaction and demanding registration of an FIR for cheating and forgery.
According to the victims, the jeweller took around 228.3 grams of gold along with a large amount of cash on the pretext of making new jewellery, repairing old ornaments and keeping gold safely. The accused jeweller allegedly shut his shop and went missing on February 6. His mobile phone has been switched off since then.
The accused has been identified as Narendra Singh Rawat, who was running Maa Bhagwati Jewellers in Lamachaur along with his wife Pooja Rawat, residents of Modi village in Tarikhet, Almora district. Locals said Rawat had been living in Lamachaur for several years and had gained the trust of residents before allegedly cheating them.
On Tuesday, several women submitted a written complaint to SSP Nainital, demanding strict action against the jeweller. The complainants alleged that when they approached Mukhani police station on Monday, the station in-charge refused to register their complaint. They further claimed that the jeweller’s wife had earlier filed a missing person report at the same police station, which raised suspicion.
Victims detail losses
Seven complainants from the Mukhani police station area submitted written complaints to the SSP.
Complainant Puran Singh Bohra stated that he had handed over 40.550 grams of gold jewellery and a 100-gram gold coin to the jeweller.
Basanti Devi alleged that she gave 21.280 grams of gold along with ₹50,000 in cash and ₹50,000 online.
Pushpa Kanyal said she deposited 20 grams of gold and ₹1.85 lakh in cash.
Hemlata Danu claimed she gave 26.4 grams of gold, ₹27,000 in cash and ₹48,000 through online transfer.
Nirmala Niglatiya stated that she handed over 20 grams of gold for making new jewellery.
The victims urged the police administration to immediately trace the accused and recover their valuables. They said that many families are under financial stress due to the incident and justice should not be delayed.
