The Dongri police have registered an FIR against seven individuals for allegedly cheating a 62-year-old complainant, Rajendra Soni. Soni alleges that the accused promised to sell him gold at a lower price (4% below market value) but defrauded him of Rs. 5.26 crore. The case was registered on January 24.
According to the FIR, Soni, a resident of Dongri, owns a jewelry shop in the same area. In 2013-14, he established Soni Food Corporation Limited, where one of the accused, Imran Khan, was a partner.
In 2013, Imran Khan and his brother, Ruman Khan, proposed a business deal to Soni. They suggested purchasing raw gold from Tanzania through a company called SS Group. The SS Group was reportedly run by Santosh Josef, Rajendra Patil, Arun Barad, Ashok Reddy, and Suresh Jois. Khan claimed that the SS Group owned gold mines in Tanzania.
Soni agreed to purchase 40 kilo of gold at 4% below the market rate. Between 2013 and 2016, he made payments in dollars. However, it was later revealed that Khan and his associates had forged agreements with Soni. They neither delivered the gold nor returned his money, defrauding him of Rs. 5.26 crore.
The accused have been identified as Imran Khan, Ruman Khan, Rajendra Patil, Vyankat Reddy, Purnima Reddy, Santosh Josef, and Arun Barad. The case has been filed under sections 34 (common intention), 406 (breach of trust), 420 (cheating and dishonesty), and 506 (2) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
