Goregaon shop owner lures victims with gold schemes, vanishes before lottery; nabbed in Rajasthan running eatery under alias; his two accomplices were arrested from Mumbai on May 10
Jaisalmer Ki Jhalak And Restaurant, the dhaba opened by accused
A Goregaon-based jeweller and his two accomplices were arrested for allegedly duping at least 90 people with promises of high returns on investments in cash and jewellery. Police say the main accused in the case, identified as Kushal Dalpatsingh Rathod, alias Kamlesh Chauhan, 30, used the stolen funds—R4 crore—and fled to Rajasthan, where he bought land and opened a dhaba.
Police said they have arrested three people: Chauhan and his two accomplices, Vinayak Maruti Mane, 44, and Sibaram Omiya Sawant, 47. While Chauhan was arrested in Rajasthan on May 5, the other two were arrested in Mumbai on May 10, said police.
According to police sources, Chauhan had opened a jewellery shop—Shri Jewellers—in Santosh Nagar market in Goregaon East a few years ago. To attract customers, he launched several seemingly lucrative schemes, such as bonuses and high returns on investment, a 50 per cent discount on jewellery making charges, free hallmarking of gold brought by customers, and so on.
Main accused was arrested in Rajasthan. File pic
Tempted by these offers, over 90 individuals invested in the schemes between 2023 and October 2024, and the accused offered a special lottery draw on 12 October 2024. However, when customers arrived at the shop on the announced date, they found it shut and Chauhan’s phone switched off.
Realising they had been defrauded, the victims filed complaints with the Dindoshi police, following which a case was registered under relevant sections of the BNS and an investigation was launched under the guidance of DCP Smita Patil, Zone XII. Senior inspector Ajay Aphale, PSI Ajeet Desai, along with his detection team.
On May 5, the police tracked Chauhan to Dhawal village in the Jalore district of Rajasthan, where he used the stolen money to buy land and start a dhaba—Jaisalmer Ki Jhalak And Restaurant. His arrest led to the arrest of Mane and Sawant, said police, adding that during their interrogation, three more names have been discovered, and a search has been launched to nab them.
“It was a well-planned conspiracy executed by Kushal Dalpatsingh Rathod, alias Kamlesh Chauhan, along with his accomplices. Chauhan, the mastermind, confessed that the jewellery collected from customers as part of the investment schemes was melted and sold. The melting and resale of the jewellery were carried out by Sawant, Mane, and other absconding accused,” said an officer familiar with the investigation.
With the proceeds from the scam, Chauhan purchased land on Jaisalmer Road in Rajasthan and opened a restaurant, which he was operating under a false identity. Investigators found that Chauhan frequently changed his mobile numbers to evade tracking. He used separate numbers to communicate—one for his associates in Mumbai and another for those involved in the crime.
The officer mentioned above said that, acting on a tip-off, the Dindoshi police team coordinated with the local police in Jaisalmer and laid a trap to arrest Chauhan. Undercover officers dined at the restaurant and, upon Chauhan’s arrival, took him into custody. The trio accused were produced before the court, and they were remanded to police custody till 13 May. Further investigation and search of other accused are underway, said another officer.
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