Hi-fi thief targeted only diamond traders

Suave looks, designer clothes, stylish sunglasses and a high-end phone. Rarely would one find a thief with all this.

But Dinesh Mavjibhai Lakhani, a diamond trader at Opera House, did. And he also became his victim.

“The accused, Imran Rafiq Khan, met Lakhani in October 2008 and introduced himself as Sameer Raheja and said he owned a jewellery firm in Andheri (West) and had several clients abroad,” a police officer of the DB Marg police station said, adding that Khan has been arrested.

Khan, who has cheated many other diamond traders, would approach his victims, impress them with his refined manners and ask for diamonds to show it to his foreign clients. In return, he would give them a post-dated cheque, and would never return. The victims usually got to know to the truth when the cheques bounced.

“Khan told Lakhani that he had a party from the US, who is interested in purchasing diamonds. Lakhani gave him diamonds worth Rs20.87 lakh and got a post-dated cheque,” the officer said, adding that also made Khan sign a credit invoice deed, stating that he would sell off the diamonds and would return the money by December 2008.

“The deed stated that if Khan did not sell the diamonds, he shall return them to Lakhani. Or else, Lakhani would be entitled to encash the cheque,” the officer said.

When Khan did not turn up by the due date, Lakhani approached the bank to encash the cheque. But he was shocked to learn that Khan had insufficient funds in his account. He spoke to Khan who promised to pay back the money soon, but did not. In fact, the accused once threatened the merchant and boasted of his underworld connections in Dubai, the police said. Lakhani then lodged a complaint with the police in April last year.

Since then Khan had been moving the courts. His anticipatory bail applications were rejected by sessions and high court, following which he was arrested by the police on Friday and has been sent to police custody till September 28.