Mumbai: Thousands of customers, who had invested money in two schemes floated by a Maharashtra-based jewellery store, have been left in the lurch after its owners allegedly fled with crores of their rupees.
The Dombivli police on Saturday registered a case against the owners, Sunilkumar and Sudeeshkumar, and managers of Goodwin Jewellers.
Both the owners, who hail from Kerala, allegedly shut shop four days ago and cannot be traced. Their showroom in Dombivli has been sealed. Goodwin Jewellers has 14 branches across the state, police said.
The matter was reported by 35 of its customers who approached the police on Saturday to inform them that the store’s Dombivli branch had not opened for the last two days. By Sunday, police received 54 more complaints, involving investments adding up to Rs 2.93 crore.
Senior police inspector, SP Aaher, Dombivli police station, said scores of customers had either deposited gold with the shop or invested money in their fixed deposit or saving schemes. “The exact amount is still being ascertained, but the figure runs into crores of rupees. We have sealed the branch that falls under our jurisdiction and are conducting further inquiries into the matter,” Aaher was quoted as saying by The Hindu.
He added that both the owners, Sunil and Sudesh Kumar, and the store manager Manish Kundi, have been booked for cheating and criminal breach of trust under the IPC. All three are absconding.
More than 50 investors of Goodwin Jewellers on Sunday took out a protest march from the Dombivli branch of the chain to Ramnagar police station as more complainants came out to file a case against the on Sunday, and police said they are in the process of registering around 300 more. The police said the number of complainants is expected to go up.
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