CHENNAI: A Kerala-based jewellery shop owner who allegedly cheated customers after collecting gold jewellery weighing hundreds of sovereigns on the promise of pledging them for loans was arrested by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) from Idukki district in the neighbouring state on Tuesday.
The suspect has been identified as Bijo Jose (45) of Mount Calvary in Kerala’s Idukki. He had been absconding since 2023 after allegedly shutting down his jewellery shop, Chennai Gold House, in T Nagar’s Pondy Bazaar.
The complaint that led to the arrest of the jeweller was filed by B Sabiya (43) of Egmore. The police said Sabiya became acquainted with Bijo during the inauguration of the jewellery shop in 2022.
Later that year, when she required money to purchase a house, she allegedly handed over 250 sovereigns of jewellery to him after he promised to pledge the ornaments at a low interest rate and arrange a loan. However, Bijo allegedly neither provided the money nor returned the jewellery and went into hiding.
Based on Sabiya’s complaint, the Entrustment Document Fraud (EDF) - I wing of the CCB registered a case.