Akshaya Tritiya Alert: Fake gold-silver scam exposed. How conman who earlier duped Aditya Pancholi & Salim Khan’s aide trapped victims

A long-running interstate fraud racket targeting wealthy individuals has been busted by the Gurgaon Police with the arrest of a seasoned fraudster who allegedly duped victims using fake gold coins in a carefully planned scam. The accused, identified as Solanki Prabhubhai Gulshanbhai aka Kalpesh, reportedly approached the victims by posing as a poor labourer. According to The Times of India (TOI), his last target was a city-based exporter whose car broke down near Pachgaon Chowk in February.

Claiming that he found a hidden treasure during the excavation, Kalpesh claimed that he had gold and silver coins that he secretly wanted to sell.

Fake Gold Coin Scam: How Did Victims Fall into the Trap?

The fraud followed a calculated pattern:

• The defendant first offered several original coins for testing
• Once verified, the victim’s trust is gained
• Then offered a larger deal at a “discounted” rate
• It was later revealed that the bulk coins delivered were fake (brass and gold-plated copper).

According to TOI, the exporter paid around Rs 2.5 billion and 50 gold tolas, believing that he had purchased a valuable treasure.

Victim Borrowed, Sold Family Gold

Police discovered that the victim had gone to extreme lengths to arrange the money.

According to TOI, he borrowed a huge amount from friends and relatives and even gave up his ancestral jewels, convinced that he had struck a lucrative deal.
The last exchange reportedly took place at his residence in Sushant Lok, following which the accused fled.

Interstate Gang Targeted High Class Vehicle Owners

The investigation revealed that the gang specifically targeted people with luxury cars, especially those stranded on highways.
As reported by TOI, the accused were conducting reconnaissance operations and approaching victims by pretending to be laborers or machinery operators, claiming to have found treasure during railway or construction works.

To make the offer more attractive, they priced ‘gold’ at Rs 25-30 lakh per kilogram and lured buyers with the promise of huge profits.

Gurgaon Police Arrests Accused Key

The case was solved by the Gurgaon Police crime branch team led by Inspector Narender Sharma.

While Kalpesh and his driver were arrested in Vadodara, the other two accused were nabbed in Gujarat. Police also found the involvement of a jeweler who allegedly helped produce the counterfeit coins.

DCP Hitesh Yadav told TOI that the accused has been running such scams in many states for nearly 25 years.

Past Victims Include Bollywood Connections

In a shocking revelation, the police said that the accused had earlier cheated actor Aditya Pancholi for around Rs 20 lakh and also cheated Salim Khan’s assistant for Rs 25 lakh.

However, TOI reported that no formal complaint has been filed in these cases.

Assets, Film Venture and Political Connections

Police investigations revealed that the defendant used the proceeds of crime to build significant assets, including:

• Buying a hotel on the Delhi-Mumbai highway
• We are producing a Gujarati movie called Love You
• Trying to gain political influence by putting his wife in local elections

Kalpesh reportedly has four wives and multiple cases have been registered in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

Recovery and Ongoing Investigation

So far police have recovered:

• 2.3 billion Rupees in cash
• 678 grams of gold

Two women linked to the gang, currently in Kota prison, are expected to be brought in for questioning. The Income Tax Department may also participate in the investigation.

Inputs from TOI