New Delhi:
A 23-year-old man was arrested in west Delhi for allegedly trying to sell fake gold bricks, police said on Sunday.
Sughad Singh was apprehended from near a jewellery shop in Bhagawati Garden on Saturday while he was trying to sell a fake gold brick weighing 1.2 kg, V Renganathan, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West), said.
Two of Singh's accomplices are on the run. Singh approached Shiv Mangal (50) while he on walk last night and told him that he wanted to sell two gold bricks which he found while digging in his native village of Rajasthan's Bharatpur.
He told Mangal that he was in dire need of money and wanted to sell these bricks for his father's treatment.
"Mangal first refused but on his constant request, he agreed to buy the bricks. Singh gave two small sample pieces of gold to Mangal and told him that these two pieces were taken from the gold bricks. He also asked Mangal to get it checked from any jeweller," Renganathan said.
Mangal asked Singh to accompany him to the jeweller but he declined, he said. A jeweller confirmed that the gold given by Singh was genuine following which Mangal agreed to buy the gold bricks.
Singh allegedly told Mangal that he was selling the "gold" bricks for Rs 10 lakh though the actual cost is about Rs 22-23 lakh.
"Mangal insisted that the gold bricks be checked but Singh again declined. However, he reached the jeweller.
Meanwhile, Singh's two associates also reached the spot and started arguing with Mangal saying that why he was getting the brick checked as he has not made the payment.
"An argument ensued and a police patrolling party reached the spot hearing the argument. Seeing the police party, Singh and his associates started running. Singh was apprehended but two others escaped," Renganathan said adding the jeweller told police that the gold bricks were fake.
During interrogation, he said, Singh told police that he heard about this mode of cheating from his village elders who were involved in such business.
"He kept small pieces of pure gold for checking by customers to win their confidence and then sold the fake bricks at half the market rates. His two associates used to be near him to help him if he is caught," Renganathan said.
A case of cheating has been registered.