Heating sand will make it gold: Man cheats Pune jeweller of Rs 50 lakh with sand bags

23-01-2021

A jeweller in Pune purchased 4 kgs of ‘magic sand’ from a man he trusted for over a year who made him believe that the special sand from Bengal would turn into gold upon heating. The jeweller was cheated of Rs 50 lakh in exchange of the sand. According to a report in The Indian Express, the jeweller in Hadaspur of Pune lodged a complaint saying the accused man had visited his shop about a year ago and became friendly over time. The man had become acquainted with the jeweller’s family as well and would supply dairy products. The accused went on to give him a bag filled with 4 kg sand, which he said he had brought from Bengal. He said the special sand turns into gold upon heating. The jeweller gave him Rs 30 lakh in cash and gold worth around Rs 20 lakh. When he finally put the sand in fire, the jeweller realised that he has been duped and went to the police to lodge an FIR. The accused has been booked under Sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.