Pune: Husband-Wife Duo Arrested for Rs 1.5 Crore Gold Scam
Pune, 26th March 2026: Bharati Vidyapeeth police have arrested a husband-wife duo who had been on the run for allegedly cheating citizens of over Rs 1.5 crore by luring them with offers of gold at discounted rates in the Dhankawadi–Katraj area.
The accused have been identified as Hemant Dattatray Kharote (45) and his wife Rupali Hemant Kharote (38), who operated a jewellery business under the name ‘Avani Jewellers’ in Dhankawadi. A case has been registered against them at the Bharati Vidyapeeth police station.
According to police, the duo duped several people between 2016 and 2026 by promising gold at rates lower than the market price. They allegedly offered gold at around Rs 60,000 per tola (11.7 gram) and claimed there would be no making charges, persuading customers to invest large sums.
Initially, the accused delivered small quantities of gold to gain trust. Later, they showed photos of jewellery on mobile phones and collected large amounts of money but did not deliver the gold or return the money.
In one of the cases, complainant Anjali Nimbalkar was allegedly cheated of Rs 1.49 crore. Though a part of the amount was returned, the accused failed to repay around Rs 1.34 crore. Police said several other victims were also duped, taking the total fraud amount beyond Rs 1.5 crore.
After the case was registered, the couple shut their house and shop and fled Pune. Investigations revealed that they possessed as many as nine mobile phones and 12 SIM cards. They frequently changed devices to evade tracking.
Using technical analysis, mobile location data and social media inputs, police tracked their movement across multiple states. After learning that the duo was travelling via Ola cabs, police analysed driver records and travel routes before laying a trap and arresting them on the Mumbai-Pune highway.
The operation was carried out under the guidance of police commissioner Amitesh Kumar and other senior officers, by a team led by senior police inspector Rahul Khilare.
