A jeweller has been booked for allegedly shutting shop after collecting over Rs 85 lakh from depositors in the form of cash and gold, a senior police official said on Sunday.
The jeweller had reportedly started a fixed deposit scheme and had collected Rs 67.95 lakh in cash and Rs 18 lakh in gold from people, the official said.
When a large number of these depositors reached the shop Saturday morning, they found it closed and were told that it had been sold, following which some of them approached police, the official said.
“An FIR has been registered against Ajit Kothari of Prathamesh Jewellers under relevant sections of the IPC. No arrests have been made and probe is underway,” said Thane police public relations officer Sukhada Narkar.
