Surat: A Surat-based diamond trader has alleged that he was cheated of Rs 9.11 lakh by six persons, including a doctor, who promised to exchange US dollars received as donations at a religious place and an NGO for Indian currency. Umra police have registered a cheating case against all six accused and launched an investigation.According to the complaint, the victim, Sanket Shah (40), frequently travels to Belgium for business and often stays at the residence of his friend, Tejendra Maharaj. During one such visit, Maharaj allegedly introduced him to acquaintances in Gujarat who were looking to exchange dollars for Indian rupees.After Shah returned to Surat, he received a call from one of the accused, Rahul, who allegedly told him that his nephew Vishal Patel and a doctor named Nilesh, who runs an NGO, had received donations in dollars and wanted to exchange them for rupees. Rahul further claimed that another associate, Mukesh Jayswal, knew a religious leader who had received donations in dollars at a religious place and was also looking to exchange the foreign currency.The accused allegedly asked Shah to meet them in Vadodara on Dec 2, 2025. Shah, accompanied by his father, met the group at a hotel in the city, where one of the accused showed him a few US dollar notes and offered to exchange a larger amount for Rs 9.11 lakh.Believing the deal to be genuine, Shah allegedly collected the cash from an angadiya firm and handed it over to the accused. He was then taken in a car to a forested area near Pavagadh, where the transaction was to be completed.According to the complaint, a man arrived at the spot carrying a bundle that appeared to contain $100 notes. After handing over the bundle, he allegedly took the Rs 9.11 lakh and fled into the jungle.When Shah later examined the bundle, he found that only two notes were of $100 denomination, while the remaining notes were of $1 denomination.Realising he had been cheated, Shah allegedly confronted the accused and threatened legal action. The accused reportedly assured him that the money would be returned, but when repeated follow-ups yielded no results, he approached police.
