Jabalpur crime branch busts Rs 1.55 crore gold scam targeting doctors; four arrested

Jabalpur: In a major crackdown, the Crime Branch in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, has uncovered a sophisticated fraud targeting doctors with the lure of “buried gold,” reportedly resulting in losses of approximately Rs 1.55 crore. Four members of the same family from Jhansi have been arrested in connection with the scam.

According to the Crime Branch, the accused are residents of Faridabad, Haryana. Police tracked their location to Jhansi before conducting a raid and apprehending the suspects.

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Investigators revealed that the gang initially approached doctors under the guise of providing medical treatment. They later posed as labourers claiming to have discovered buried gold during excavation, and claimed they could not sell it themselves. To gain the victims’ trust, the gang first provided 4–5 real gold coins, which were verified as genuine.

Once confidence was established, the accused offered gold at Rs 12 lakh per kilogram. Lured by the promise of lucrative returns, the victims agreed to purchase.

However, after receiving cash payments, the gang would provide fake gold coins or gold biscuits and flee. Subsequent verification revealed the gold was counterfeit.

Police registered cases under sections 318(4) and 3(5) of the Indian Penal Code following three separate complaints:

April 1, 2026: The first complaint involved 7 kg of gold for Rs 10 lakh. The doctor was approached by a man who claimed to have found buried treasure. After receiving 5 real gold coins for verification, the doctor paid Rs 9 lakh upfront for 7 kg of gold, only to later discover that the remainder of the gold was fake.

April 3, 2026: Another doctor lost Rs 50 lakh in a 5 kg gold transaction. The accused and his family, including his father, mother, and brother, lured the doctor by claiming the gold was part of a buried treasure. After receiving 5 kg of gold and paying Rs 50 lakh, the doctor discovered he had been given fake gold.

April 4, 2026: The third doctor was cheated of Rs 1 crore in a 12 kg gold deal. Again, the gang presented small amounts of real gold first, which led the doctor to finalise the deal, only to receive counterfeit gold biscuits in exchange for cash.

After the complaints were received, SP Sampat Upadhyay formed a special team led by Additional Superintendent of Police Jitendra Singh. Using technical evidence, the team traced the gang to Jhansi and conducted arrests.

During questioning, the accused disclosed that they had hidden money in a rented house in the Panagar area. Police recovered Rs 1.55 crore in cash, 84 grams of real gold, around 20 kg of fake gold coins, and 11 mobile phones during the search, reports Bhaskar English.

The gang has reportedly disclosed information about other potential victims, and further. Speaking to ETV Bharat, SP Sampat Upadhyay said, "All of them were taken on remand and interrogated rigorously. On this, all four fraudsters admitted to cheating together and told that they were living in a rented house in Panagar, where they had hidden the money obtained through cheating. On the directions of the accused, while searching the rented house in Panagar, Rs 1 crore 55 lakh cash, 84 grams of real gold coins, 20 kg of fake coins, and 11 mobile phones were seized, and all of them were arrested. They used to buy fake gold coins from Delhi. All of them are being interrogated as to how many more people have been cheated by this gang before this."

He cautioned the public, "Greed is a bad emotion, and anyone can fall prey to it. Many such frauds have been perpetrated in the past, with people claiming to have found buried treasure and spreading the word that the government will confiscate the gold. This time, the fraudsters targeted doctors, selling them fake gold while pretending it was real. We need to be cautious of such people."

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