Surat: The promise of extraordinary returns and claims of vast overseas wealth cost a Surat textile trader Rs 90 lakh. Police are investigating a cheating case in which a couple allegedly lured the trader into investing money before using forged Dubai-related documents to reassure him when repayments failed to materialize.Athwalines police have launched an investigation based on a complaint from Sagar Jariwala (35), who owns a textile business and operates a unit in Pandesara.The complaint states that Jariwala first met Brijesh Mehta and his wife, Janki Mehta, during demonetization. Brijesh projected himself as a businessman with interests in gold, real estate, the stock market, cryptocurrency and other ventures through a firm based in Mumbai. Police said Mehta persuaded Jariwala to invest by promising extraordinary returns, saying he would provide Rs 100 in return for every Re 1 invested.Believing the assurances, Jariwala transferred Rs 90 lakh through multiple transactions between 2021 and 2024. When the promised returns did not materialize, Jariwala repeatedly sought repayment from the couple. Mehta then told Jariwala he was relocating to Dubai after getting a “golden visa”. To support the claim, he allegedly provided documents including a visa, flight ticket, hotel booking details and a Dubai trade licence. The complaint alleges that Mehta sent a purported statement of Emirates NBD Bank showing a balance of 300 crore UAE dirhams in his account.When Jariwala verified the documents, he allegedly found them to be forged. Police said Jariwala then went to Mehta’s residence to seek answers, where he was allegedly abused and threatened. Realizing he had been cheated, Jariwala approached police.
