Mumbai Police have arrested members of a habitual inter-state gang for allegedly cheating a Malad resident of Rs 25 lakh by falsely claiming to have unearthed gold ornaments during excavation work and selling him counterfeit jewellery, an official said on Saturday.
The case has been registered at Malad Police Station under Crime Register No. 883/25, invoking Sections 316(2), 318(4) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
According to the police, the complainant, Dinesh Mehta (51), a resident of Ankur Building in Somwar Bazaar, Malad (West), was approached by the main accused, Baboolal Bhalaram Waghela (55), between November 26 and December 4, 2025. The accused allegedly initiated contact by conversing in Rajasthani and gradually gained the complainant’s confidence.
Waghela claimed that gold ornaments weighing around 900 grams had been discovered during excavation work behind a temple in Nashik. He offered either to sell the ornaments on Mehta’s behalf or to sell them directly to him. To establish credibility, the accused reportedly showed the ornaments and provided a few yellow-metal beads as samples, which tested positive for gold.
Trusting the claim, Mehta allegedly paid Rs 25 lakh in cash and took possession of the jewellery. However, when the ornaments were later examined by a goldsmith, they were found to be fake. The complainant then approached the police, following which an FIR was registered on December 5, 2025.
During the investigation, the Crime Detection Team of Malad Police collected CCTV footage from the crime scene and surrounding areas, including Kandivali East, and analysed technical data such as call detail records and mobile dump data. Although the CCTV visuals were unclear, police said the accused were traced based on body structure, gait analysis and technical inputs after examining footage from over 100 government and private cameras over three consecutive days.
The probe led to the identification of five accused. Two were traced to Gandhinagar in Gujarat and two to Virar East in Palghar district. The prime accused, Waghela, was first arrested from his residence in Kalol, Gandhinagar district. A search of his house led to the seizure of Rs 15.45 lakh in cash, believed to be part of the cheated amount, and a mobile phone allegedly used in the crime.
During interrogation, Waghela disclosed the involvement of his wife, Kokubai Baboolal Waghela (50). She has been served a notice under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and directed to appear before the police.
After securing transit remand from a court in Kalol, the accused was brought to Mumbai and produced before a holiday court in Borivali. Subsequently, the remaining three accused—Manglaram Manaram Wagri (34), Kesararam Bhagtaram Wagri (41) and Bhavarlal Baboolal Wagri (48)—were arrested from Virar East. Police said all three are engaged in photo-frame making, and their role in the offence was confirmed during interrogation.
Investigators said all the accused are originally from Rajasthan’s Jalore district and are part of a gang that travels across states to commit similar offences. Police also revealed that Waghela has previous cheating cases registered against him at the Kalol Taluka Police Station and Sabarmati Police Station in Gujarat.
Another accused, identified as Govind and aged around 30, is currently absconding, and efforts are underway to trace him. While Rs 15.45 lakh has been recovered so far, police said recovery of the remaining amount and other property is in progress.
The investigation is being conducted by Assistant Police Inspectors Abhijit Kale and Deepak Raivade under the supervision of Senior Police Inspector Dushyant Chavan of Malad Police Station.
