A 30-year-old businessman from Rajkot has filed a complaint with the Junagadh City B Division police, alleging that he and his two friends were defrauded of Rs 45.55 lakh under the guise of cryptocurrency investment. The incident came to light on Tuesday when the victim, identified as Vanraj alias Pintu Khakhdiya, approached the authorities.
Details of the Fraud
According to the police complaint, Khakhdiya stated that his relative, Gautam Suresh, a resident of a village in Visavadar, convinced him to invest in USDT cryptocurrency. Suresh promised high returns on the investment. Trusting his relative, Khakhdiya, along with his associates Keval Parmar and Jitendra Divraniya, handed over Rs 45.55 lakh through a traditional courier service.
Accused Goes Missing
After receiving the money, Gautam Suresh became unreachable and switched off his mobile phone. When the complainants managed to contact him a few days later, he allegedly expressed his inability to repay the amount immediately. Instead, he offered his car, worth approximately Rs 22.50 lakh, as a partial settlement. A vehicle transfer document was reportedly prepared for this purpose.
Threats and Duress
However, when the trio reached Visavadar to complete the vehicle transfer process, Gautam and his uncle, Jayraj Devku, allegedly detained them at a shop near the Visavadar court. The complaint states that Jayraj threatened them with a firearm and warned them against demanding the money. The victims further alleged that they were forced to cancel the vehicle transfer papers and sign blank stamp papers under duress. The accused also threatened to implicate them in false usury cases if they approached the police.
Legal Action Taken
A case has been registered under Sections 318(3), 308(5), 351(2), and 127(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with other relevant charges. The police are investigating the matter further.
