Srinagar Police arrest fraudulent goldsmith with counterfeit ornaments in south Kashmir’s Bijbehara

Srinagar, Jan 16: Police on Thursday said that it has apprehended an individual involved in the sale of counterfeit gold ornaments.

In a statement, the police said that on 9th January, a written complaint was lodged at Police Station Nowhatta by an individual namely Nisar Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Bindoo Kokernag, at present living in Srinagar & working as a storekeeper at Lalmandi Srinagar, stating therein that he had purchased gold ornaments from one Mehraj Din Qazi, the proprietor of M/S Soliya Ornaments in Bijbihara.

Upon close observation once purchased, they turned out to be fake.

In this connection case vide FIR No. 02/2025 under relevant sections of law was registered in Police Station Nowhatta.

Acting swiftly, the investigating team arrested the accused shopkeeper identified as Mehraj Din Qazi son of Gh Mohammad Qazi resident of Bijbihara, and seized the fake jewellery, police said.

During questioning, the accused admitted to deceiving customers by embossing fake hallmarks on gold-like ornaments.

The investigating team also learnt that the accused had been making home deliveries of these counterfeit items to various locations of Srinagar City, including Nowhatta.

The laboratory tests of the seized gold jewellery have confirmed that the ornaments in question are indeed counterfeit, police said.

The investigation of the case is going on to uncover any further links in this fraudulent network.

People are requested not to fall prey to fraudulent elements who dupe people on various counts including sale of golden ornaments on cheap rates, reads the statement.