Pune: Chandannagar police have arrested four individuals for defrauding a jeweler by pawning silver rings plated with gold and marked with a counterfeit "916" hallmark.

The accused obtained ₹1 lakh by deceiving the jeweler at Sanghvi Jewellers in Wadgaon Sheri. The police have seized counterfeit jewelry, an auto-rickshaw used in the crime, and equipment for producing fake hallmarks.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Omprakash Shamsundar Pardeshi (58, resident of Somanath Nagar, Vadgaon Sheri), Fayyaz Chand Sayyed (35, Vadgaon Sheri), Arif Khalil Shaikh (41, Yerawada), and Sharan Manikrao Shilwant (46, Dhankawadi).

The fraud came to light when Mukesh Ramdas Vaishnav, the owner of Sanghvi Jewellers, realized that the rings pawned at his shop were not genuine gold.

According to police reports, two of the accused visited the jewelry store and pledged four rings, claiming they were made of gold. Based on the apparent "916" hallmark certification, the jeweler lent them ₹1 lakh. However, upon verification, it was discovered that the rings were merely silver with a gold-plated finish.

Upon receiving the complaint, the police acted swiftly, arresting Omprakash Pardeshi first. Through further investigation, his three accomplices were also taken into custody.

The police confiscated crucial evidence, including the auto-rickshaw used in the operation, the fake rings, and the tools for engraving counterfeit hallmarks. The total value of the seized items amounts to ₹1,02,875.

The investigation was led by Senior Police Inspector Seema Dhakane, with guidance from Crime Inspector Anil Mane. The team included Assistant Police Inspector Dattatray Ligade, Dattaprasad Shendge, and officers Vishwanath Gone, Sachin Randive, Shivaji Dhande, Vikas Kadam, Namdev Gaddare, Shekhar Shinde, and Gyanoba Lahane.