Panchkula: A chole-kulche vendor in Haryana’s Panchkula has allegedly been defrauded of ₹6 lakh after two men gained his trust by posing as regular customers for nearly a week and then offered to sell him gold jewellery under a fabricated story. The suspects allegedly claimed that they had found gold ornaments during excavation and wanted to sell them secretly before contractors could trace them. After receiving the money, they allegedly handed over fake jewellery and fled.
The victim, identified as Chhotelal, a resident of Raipur Rani, has approached the Panchkula DCP office with a complaint. According to his account, the two suspects repeatedly visited his food cart for around seven days, ate chole-kulche and interacted with him in a friendly manner. Their repeated visits allegedly helped them establish familiarity and gain his confidence before making the offer.
Suspects Allegedly Built Trust Over Seven Days
According to the complaint, the two men initially behaved like ordinary customers. They regularly visited Chhotelal’s cart and spoke to him casually. Their continued presence reportedly made the victim comfortable with them, allowing the suspects to approach him with their alleged gold-selling proposal without immediately raising suspicion.
The incident reportedly took a serious turn on August 10. The suspects allegedly told Chhotelal that they had discovered gold jewellery while carrying out excavation work. They claimed that contractors had started pursuing them and that they wanted to sell the jewellery quietly before leaving the area.
To make their story appear genuine, the suspects allegedly handed over two small gold beads as samples and asked Chhotelal to have them examined by a jeweller.
Sample Reportedly Tested Positive as Gold
Chhotelal reportedly took the two samples to a local jeweller for examination. According to his account, the jeweller identified both pieces as gold. This allegedly strengthened the victim’s confidence in the suspects’ story.
Following the examination, a deal was reportedly finalised for ₹6 lakh. Chhotelal has alleged that he arranged the money by pledging his house. After collecting the amount, he handed ₹6 lakh to the two men.
The suspects allegedly gave him a necklace and other jewellery described as gold before leaving the area.
However, when Chhotelal subsequently returned to the jeweller with the jewellery he had purchased, the jeweller allegedly identified the items as fake. The discovery left the victim shocked, as he realised that the jewellery supplied in the final transaction was allegedly different from the samples that had earlier been presented for testing.
Victim Delayed Reporting the Alleged Fraud
According to the complaint, Chhotelal did not immediately disclose the incident to others. He reportedly remained silent for three to four days after discovering that he had been allegedly cheated.
He later approached the Panchkula DCP office and submitted a complaint. The victim has reportedly referred to CCTV footage that captured the two suspects visiting his food cart. The footage could potentially help investigators identify and trace the men.
The alleged use of genuine-looking samples before handing over fake jewellery is being examined as a possible part of the suspected fraud.
Police Begin Verification
Raipur Rani police said the victim had not yet formally registered a complaint at the police station when information about the incident came to their notice. Police also said the complaint submitted at the DCP office had not immediately reached the local station.
Despite this, police have started gathering information about the incident at their own level. Investigators are expected to speak to the victim, examine CCTV footage and verify the jewellery involved in the transaction.
The police will also need to establish the identities of the two suspects and determine whether the same method has been used to target other people in the area.
The allegations against the suspects have not yet been independently established. The investigation is continuing, and further action will depend on the evidence collected by police, including CCTV footage, the jewellery examination and the victim’s statement.
About the author — Suvedita Nath is a science student with a growing interest in cybercrime and digital safety. She writes on online activity, cyber threats, and technology-driven risks. Her work focuses on clarity, accuracy, and public awareness.
