A simple question — “Are you Bengali?” — was all it took for a gang of tricksters to allegedly hypnotise and rob a 19-year-old Mumbai goldsmith of ornaments worth over Rs 6 lakh in the heart of Masjid Bunder’s jewellery hub.
The complainant, Sanvik Gautam Jana, who hails from West Bengal and works as a goldsmith in Mumbai, had been sent by his employer on Thursday to deliver gold for die-cutting. He was carrying two gold bangles weighing 67 grams and a wire weighing 18 grams in his pocket.
As he stepped out of the Delhiwala Building around 5 pm, two men began walking alongside him. One casually asked, “Are you Bengali?” When Jana replied yes, the man pinched his hand — and what followed left him stunned.
“The victim said he suddenly felt dizzy and mute, as if his senses had shut down. He felt like he couldn’t speak, react, or understand anything,” said a police officer.
The strangers led him to the Samuel Street area. About 30 minutes later, when he regained full consciousness, the gold bangles were gone — only the wire remained. The men, along with suspected accomplices, had disappeared into the bustling bylanes.
Police said the teenager gave a clear description of the suspects: one was strongly built, dressed in a floral shirt and blue pants; the other was slim, wearing a khaki T-shirt with English writing and black trousers.
The total loss is pegged at Rs 6,03,500. Officers believe a professional gang operating in the jewellery market may be behind the theft. A case of cheating and theft has been registered at Pydhonie Police Station, and CCTV footage is being scanned to trace the culprits.
