Surat Man Alleges Rs 45 Lakh Gold Bars Swapped with Fake Ones in Canara Bank Locker

Surat: A 53-year-old businessman has alleged that three 100-gram gold bars, worth around Rs 45 lakh, were replaced with fake ones while kept in his bank locker. The alleged theft came to light after the family decided to move their valuables from the locker to their home.

The complainant, Reenam Shah, who owns a pharmaceutical unit in Surat, has been using a Canara Bank locker for several years. According to Shah, the family misplaced the locker keys while shifting their residence in 2018. After informing the bank, they paid Rs 10,000 for a replacement key. The locker was opened and a new key was prepared in Shah’s presence.

On February 18 this year, Shah visited the bank to access the locker and brought home gold jewellery, silver articles, and three gold bars. However, he grew suspicious about the bars and got them examined by a jeweller. The bars had been gifted to Reenam’s wife, Deepa Shah, at the time of their wedding.

The tests allegedly revealed that each bar weighed 65 grams instead of 100 grams, contained only 3% gold, and was without a hallmark, indicating that the original bars may have been replaced with fake ones.

Shah subsequently approached the police and lodged a theft complaint. Athwa Police have launched an investigation to determine how the alleged swap occurred and whether it took place while the valuables were stored inside the bank locker.

DeshGujarat