Rajkot: A 33-year-old gold artisan, Tejas aka Boby Ranpara, who has disappeared with around 10 kg of gold worth Rs 5.29 Crore owned by a trader, was arrested by Rajkot police on Friday.
Police said that Ranpara, a compulsive gambler, used theft because he lost big money in gambling and betting.
“He owes and pays back to his lenders.
Ranpara pays his lender with gold.
We interrogated him to find out about who the lender and to whom he gave gold to,” said a police officer.
Ranpara did business in Rajkot for the past eight years.
According to complaints registered with the Division Police Station on Friday, Tejas disappeared with a total of 10,495kg of gold worth RS 5.29 Crore owned by 12 traders.
Rajkot traders do business on trust and jewelry giving work to gold artists on ‘Kutcha’ records.
Ranpara became unable to be traced for the past three days.
Ranpara is accustomed to promise to redeem it in the next order.
The traders give yellow metal to the goldsmiths and take back jewelry with the same weight in return.
TNN.