Jaipur jeweller who tricked US woman into buying fake diamonds arrested
US citizen Cherish Nortje returned to India in June and lodged a complaint against the two jewellers, who allegedly sold fake diamonds
A 32-year-old jeweller, who tricked a US woman into buying fake diamonds worth ₹6 crore, has been arrested from Uttarakhand’s Haridwar, a police officer said on Monday.
“Based on some tip-offs, we arrested Gaurav Soni from Haridwar on Sunday, while his father Rajendra Soni, 58, the co-accused, is absconding,” said additional deputy police commissioner Bajrang Shekhawat. He added the woman, Cherish Nortje, returned to India in June and lodged a complaint against the two, who allegedly sold fake diamonds. Both the accused were on the run since May.
Nortje said she had been buying jewellery from Sonis’ shop since 2022. “The fraud was found out during an exhibition in the US last April where the jewellery she bought from the shop was rejected as fake. Following which the woman arrived in Jaipur earlier this May to confront the jewellers and lodged a complaint,” said Nortje .
Police earlier arrested one Nand Kishor who made the fake jewellery at a laboratory in Jaipur’s Sitapura. “However, Gaurav and Rajendra Soni went on the run soon after Nortje filed the complaint. They stayed for a few days in Sikar and later visited Rewari where the duo decided to part ways to confuse the police. This August, we have traced Gaurav staying in Haridwar with his family. He was arrested from that place and brought to Jaipur on Sunday,” said Shekhawat.