Three individuals, including a young man named Saurabh, had a startling encounter at the IGL lab in Karol Bagh, where an expert disclosed that the diamonds they brought were artificial. Saurabh, associated with ‘Solitairekart’, a jewelry outlet in MGF Metropolitan Mall, Saket, was visibly shaken as such a situation was unprecedented in his experience with the store.
Accompanying Saurabh were Sagar Gupta and his companion Chandrashekhar, who were ostensibly potential buyers of the diamonds. Upon learning of their artificial nature, the buyers accused ‘Solitairekart’ of deception before leaving abruptly. Upon reevaluation, both Saurabh and the store manager confirmed the authenticity of the diamonds as artificial and notified the authorities.
The investigation took a decisive turn when the police probed Saurabh’s journey from the shop to the lab, a mere 19 kilometers. This scrutiny revealed that the purported buyers, Sagar from Gurgaon and Chandrashekhar from Delhi, were actually involved in jewel thievery.
The scheme unfolded when Sagar and Chandrashekhar visited Solitairekart, interacted with the staff, and examined gemstones in early May. Returning a few days later, they purchased several diamond stones worth approximately Rs 1 lakh. Expressing interest in pricier diamonds, they singled out three pieces totaling 15.05 carats, valued at around Rs 10 lakh, for a subsequent visit scheduled for June 6.
On the said date, Sagar and Chandrashekhar arrived at the store at 1:15 pm, insisting on verifying the authenticity of the diamonds before finalizing the purchase. Their request to send the stones to the Karol Bagh lab, renowned for quality checks, seemed reasonable given Sagar’s background as a jewel trader.
Subsequently, Saurabh was tasked with transporting the diamonds to the lab, accompanied by Sagar and Chandrashekhar. During the journey, Sagar allegedly replaced the authentic stones with artificial ones, concealed in his pocket, without Saurabh’s knowledge.
The breakthrough in the case occurred when Saurabh recounted this crucial detail to the police. Prompted by this revelation, the authorities intensified their efforts, eventually locating and apprehending Sagar and Chandrashekhar. CCTV footage corroborated their movements, leading to their capture in Gurgaon and Haridwar respectively.
Further interrogation uncovered their plan to sell the diamonds through an associate, Madhusudan Aggarwal, whose arrest led to the recovery of the genuine stones. The police suspect that this group may have executed similar schemes in the past.
Sagar emerged as the mastermind behind the operation, driven by financial desperation stemming from the collapse of his gemstone trading business.
