Jaipur, India— A US woman was allegedly defrauded by a jewelry shop owner in Rajasthan, spending Rs 6 crore on jewelry later found to be fake and worth only Rs 300.
The victim, identified as Cherish, purchased the counterfeit silver jewelry with gold polish from a shop in Johri Bazar, Jaipur. The deception came to light when she displayed the ornaments at an exhibition in the US in April, revealing their true value, according to a report by the Business Standard.
After discovering the fraud, Cherish traveled to India to confront the shop owner, Gaurav Soni, who denied the allegations. Subsequently, she filed a police complaint and sought assistance from the US embassy.
Jaipur Police have launched an investigation and are currently searching for Gaurav Soni and his father, Rajendra Soni, both of whom have gone into hiding. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Bajrang Singh Shekhawat reported that Nand Kishore, who allegedly issued a fake certificate of authenticity to Cherish, has been arrested.
Reports indicate that Cherish met Gaurav on Instagram in 2022. Over the past two years, she paid Rs 6 crore for the jewelry, believing it to be genuine.
Authorities are continuing the investigation and urging anyone with information to come forward.
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