Rajkot Scrap Trader Accuses Duo of Cheating Him of Rs 28.69 Lakh
A 43-year-old scrap trader from Rajkot has filed a formal police complaint. He alleges that two individuals cheated him out of a significant sum of money. The incident involves the manipulation of vehicle weight records during scrap transactions.
Details of the Alleged Fraud
The complainant is Dharmeshkumar Changela. He operates a scrap trading business in the Gondal taluka area of Rajkot Rural district. Changela states that he had business dealings with Hitesh Bariya and Amit Bariya for approximately one and a half years.
During this period, the accused regularly supplied plastic scrap material to him. They used different vehicles for these deliveries. The standard practice involved weighing the vehicles both when fully loaded and when completely empty.
However, Changela claims the accused followed a different procedure. They allegedly got the empty vehicles weighed separately on their own. Afterwards, they provided handwritten weight slips to Changela instead of official weighbridge documents.
How the Discrepancy Was Uncovered
Suspicion first arose on October 11, 2025. On that day, Hitesh Bariya arrived with two vehicles loaded with plastic scrap. Changela decided to take a more cautious approach this time.
He had both loaded vehicles weighed at the Radheshyam Cold End Weighbridge. After unloading, the scrap from both vehicles was kept separately at his factory premises. This allowed for proper verification later.
Further doubts emerged when the empty vehicles were sent for weighing again. Changela noticed clear discrepancies in the weight details provided by the accused parties. The numbers simply did not match up with what he was observing.
The very next day, on October 12, Changela took personal charge of the verification process. He personally accompanied a loaded scrap vehicle to the weighbridge for proper documentation.
Meanwhile, he sent his employee Nitin Bhalodiya with the empty vehicle for weighing. This ensured independent verification of both weight measurements.
The Smoking Gun Evidence
When Changela compared the official weighbridge slips from both days, he found consistent manipulation. The recorded empty weight of the vehicles showed a clear pattern of discrepancy.
According to his complaint, the empty weight recorded by the accused was consistently lower than the actual legal weight. The difference ranged from 250 to 300 kilograms less per vehicle.
This manipulation directly affected the calculated weight of the scrap material delivered. Since payment was based on scrap weight, the financial impact was substantial.
Based on these findings, Changela calculated his total financial loss. He claims to have suffered a deficit amounting to Rs 28.69 lakh due to this alleged weight manipulation scheme.
Police Action and Legal Proceedings
The Gondal taluka police station has registered a formal case based on Changela's complaint. Authorities are investigating the allegations against Hitesh Bariya and Amit Bariya.
Police have invoked relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in this case. The BNS replaced the Indian Penal Code and provides the legal framework for addressing such cheating offenses.
Investigators will now examine the weighbridge records, handwritten slips, and financial transactions between the parties. They will also interview all individuals involved in these scrap supply transactions.
This case highlights the importance of proper documentation in business transactions. It also shows how simple verification processes can uncover significant financial irregularities.
