Beed (PTI): Police have arrested a jeweller hailing from Beed city in Maharashtra for allegedly defrauding at least 16 customers to the tune of Rs 2.5 crore by supplying fake gold to them on the basis of which they sought loan from a bank, officials said on Friday.

Accused Vilas Udawant, a resident of Pandit Nagar area in Beed, was picked up from his newly-opened jewellery shop in Dehugaon area located near Pune city on Thursday, they said, adding that 18 kilograms of silver was seized from there.

Udawant, who earlier operated a shop in Beed, had devised a scheme to quickly get rich, an official said.

"He made fake gold ornaments for customers seeking bank loans and forwarded their loan applications to a a local branch of a prominent public sector bank. At least 16 fake gold loans were allegedly passed using this modus operandi," he said.

Police estimate that he collected around Rs 2.5 crore in two months through this method before selling his properties in Beed and fleeing the city.

"The breakthrough came when an informer alerted the police about Udawant's presence in Pune. Acting on a tip-off, a team from Beed police conducted a search at his new shop and arrested him. The team recovered 18 kg of silver from the premises," he said.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Hyderabad (PTI): The Telangana Commission for Backward Classes on Monday sought reports from state government officials on the death of an infant following alleged assault and caste abuse against her family members in Nagarkurnool district while visiting a temple fair.

In separate letters, Commission Chairman G Niranjan urged Endowments Department Commissioner S Harish and Nagarkurnool district Collector Badavath Santhosh to furnish the reports within three days.

Niranjan drew the officials' attention to media reports on the death of the two-month-old baby at Kummera village in the district and alleged caste discrimination and denial of entry to the temple fair to the baby's family belonging to a BC community.

BJP OBC Morcha's state unit president G Anand Goud alleged inadequate response by the police in the incident and demanded a transparent investigation into the incident.

Alleging that the deceased baby's father was attacked in the incident, he also demanded action against the attackers.

Goud told reporters that BJP's state unit president N Ramachander Rao would visit the village on February 24 and meet the baby's family members.

Meanwhile, a BRS delegation met DGP B Shivadhar Reddy and demanded a comprehensive inquiry into the incident.

The BRS leaders sought action against a person who allegedly attacked the infant's parents.

BC associations have held protests over the past few days regarding the alleged caste discrimination against the deceased infant's family members.

Police said on Sunday that four persons were arrested in connection with the cases registered after the family alleged that the baby died following an "assault" by a group of villagers. The family also alleged that they were abused in the name of caste in the incident on February 18.

However, a villager, part of the group, lodged a counter-complaint with the police the same day, alleging that he was attacked with stones during a scuffle with the family, sustaining a head injury, following which a case was registered.

The infant died on February 21 and her mother, who belongs to an SC community, also lodged a complaint alleging her daughter died due to the physical assault on the family by some villagers, police said.