Friend framed minor in fake gold smuggling case; trio posed as police, extorted 37 grams of gold

Truth surfaced after friends intervened; father approached police

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

In a disturbing case of betrayal, close friends allegedly framed a minor by threatening him with a fake gold smuggling case, posing as police officers and blackmailing him into handing over 37 grams of gold. The incident came to light after the boy’s unusual behaviour raised suspicion at home, prompting his father to approach Jawaharnagar police.

According to the complaint, the accused warned the 17-year-old boy (name changed) that he had been caught in a gold smuggling case. They claimed that a friend’s maternal uncle was a police officer who could “settle” the matter, pressuring the boy to steal his mother’s jewellery.

On November 3, the boy was taken by his friend Vedant to the Milind College area, where two men arrived on a motorcycle, introduced themselves as police, checked his mobile phone, and threatened arrest the next day. Later, a staged loudspeaker call demanded Rs 11 lakh to close the case. Under fear, the boy secretly handed over his mother’s 21-gram gold necklace on November 4 and another 16 grams on November 6. As demands increased, he confided in close friends, who confronted Tejasvi. He admitted the entire episode was fake and meant only to extort money and gold. When the boy’s parents noticed the missing jewellery, he revealed the full incident. Police arrested Vedant Rathod and Gaurav Dhanwade, while three others are absconding. The court remanded the accused to two days of police custody. The 46-year-old complainant, a resident of Jawaharnagar, runs a computer repair business and supports his family, including two children aged 17 and 14.