Mangaluru: Inter-state fraudster who cheated city gold trader arrested; 240 g of gold seized

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, December 1, 2025: A man who introduced himself as Arun visited the Swarna Jewellers store located at Urwa Store, Chilimbi, Gujjarbettu Chambers. On November 22, he claimed that he had opened an office at Ajant Business Centre in Bejai–Kaikamba and needed 24 pieces of 10-gram, 24-carat gold biscuits to gift to guests visiting his office. After selecting the design, he asked the staff to deliver the biscuits to his office at Ajant Business Centre by 12 noon. He assured them that he would immediately transfer the payment via RTGS once he received the gold.

When the staff reached the location with the gold, the accused took them to the cafeteria on the 5th floor of Ajant Business Centre. After collecting the 24 gold biscuits, he said he would make the RTGS payment from his office on the 3rd floor. However, he fled the spot without paying, cheating the jeweller.

Following a complaint filed by Ajay Ramadas Nayak, owner of Swarna Jewellers, regarding the fraud involving gold worth approximately ₹31,00,000, Urwa Police registered a case.

Using technical investigation, the Urwa Police traced the accused—known as Arun—to Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. On November 26, police apprehended him at Puliyakulam in Coimbatore district. During interrogation, the accused revealed his real name as Pugal Vasan (50), also known as Pugal Hasan alias Arun.

The accused is habitual in using fake identities to commit fraud. Police recovered 240 grams of 24-carat gold biscuits worth ₹31,04,000 from him. It was also found that he had committed similar frauds earlier in Mumbai (Maharashtra), Hyderabad (Telangana), Chittoor (Tamil Nadu), and Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh), where cases have been registered against him.

Under the guidance of Mangaluru Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy, IPS, and Deputy Commissioners Mithun H.N. (Crime & Traffic) and Ravishankar, and under the leadership of Assistant Commissioner of Police Pratap Singh Thorat, the Urwa Police team comprising Inspector Shyam Sundar H.M., PSIs Gurappa Kanti and L. Manjula, ASI Vinay Kumar, and staff members Anil, Bhaskar, Harish, Venkatesh, Chandrashekar, and Yellalinga successfully traced and arrested the accused.