Bengaluru: Shwetha Gowda, already under arrest for allegedly defrauding a jewellery shop owner of ₹2.4 crore, faces fresh legal trouble with a second FIR registered against her. The latest complaint, filed by R. Balaraj Shet, the owner of Pragati Jewellery shop in Sagar, Shivamogga, accuses Gowda of cheating him of over ₹20 lakh.
Details of the Incident
- Shwetha was introduced to Balaraj Shet by Sanjay, a jewellery shop owner in Bengaluru.
- On December 11, Shet’s brother handed over 250 grams of antique jewellery, valued at over ₹20 lakh, to Shwetha during a meeting at a café in Bengaluru.
- She issued three cheques: two worth ₹5 lakh each and one for ₹6 lakh, claiming the remaining ₹4.75 lakh would be transferred via RTGS.
Default on Payments
- The cheques turned out to be invalid, and the promised RTGS transfer was not made.
- When confronted, Shwetha cited issues with her bank before switching off her phone on December 14.
Connection to Earlier Case
Balaraj Shet contacted Sanjay, the jeweller who had introduced him to Shwetha, only to learn that Sanjay had also been defrauded and had already filed a complaint against her. Shwetha is currently in police custody regarding Sanjay’s case, involving ₹2.4 crore.
Ongoing Investigation
The Commercial Street police have registered the second FIR and are continuing their investigation into Shwetha Gowda’s alleged fraudulent activities. Her modus operandi, involving the issuance of invalid cheques and unfulfilled payment promises, has now implicated multiple victims in Bengaluru and Shivamogga.
This case underscores the need for vigilance in high-value transactions and reinforces the importance of verifying credentials before entering into financial agreements.
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