Jeweller held for duping customers of Rs 2.5 cr by selling fake gold to them for bank loan
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.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
