Fake gold scam busted in Akola; mastermind still at large

Akola: A gang involved in duping finance companies by mortgaging fake gold has been busted in Akola. The Khadan police have arrested three suspects in the case, while the alleged mastermind remains at large. Authorities have also seized assets worth ₹2.37 lakh.

The fraud came to light at the Vidyanagar branch of Muthoot Finance, where three accused—Ashutosh Paraskar, Yash Uike, and Chetan Avatade—attempted to secure a loan by pledging counterfeit gold. However, alert officials of the company became aware of their fraud during verification and immediately alerted the Khadan police, who took the suspects into custody.

The investigation revealed that Rohit Ashok Gogte was the mastermind behind the operation. He had previously obtained loans from the same company using fake gold. Police suspect that Gogte may have defrauded multiple financial institutions.

Inspector Manoj Kedare stated that a special team has been deployed to track down the main accused. Authorities are also investigating whether more persons were involved in the fraud.