Surat: A 78-year-old retired man from Althan was allegedly cheated of Rs 16.31 lakh by three people who borrowed money from him on the pretext of fighting a legal battle related to demonetisation.According to the FIR registered at Althan police station, the complainant, Niranjan Jariwala, alleged that he came in contact with the accused through a property transaction in 2024. Jariwala, who was a property dealer, had helped accused Nikul Desai and his wife Priya Desai find a rental flat. The couple allegedly gained his confidence before seeking financial assistance, claiming that crores of rupees belonging to them had been seized during demonetisation and that they needed money to fight a legal battle to recover it.The accused allegedly promised to repay double the amount if Jariwala lent them Rs 9 lakh. Trusting their assurances, he transferred money to them through multiple banking transactions. Subsequently, co-accused Nayna Tailor contacted Jariwala, claiming that she was handling the case in court and needed additional funds to pursue it.Jariwala allegedly mortgaged his daughter-in-law’s gold ornaments and transferred more money to the accused. They continued seeking additional funds on various pretexts and offering assurances of repayment. When he realised that the money was unlikely to be returned, he approached the police and lodged a complaint.
