Gujarat gang impersonated bullion figure Prithviraj Kothari, duped Hyderabad man of ₹75 lakh
Synopsis
A gang allegedly used the name and public profile of bullion industry figure Prithviraj Kothari — sourced from the JITO website — to trick a Hyderabad businessman into transferring ₹75 lakh through an angadia firm. The case exposes how freely available professional data on trade organisation websites can be weaponised for high-value impersonation fraud across state lines.
Key Takeaways
A gang allegedly impersonated bullion figure Prithviraj Kothari to dupe Rohitkumar Jain of Hyderabad out of ₹75 lakh via an angadia firm in Kalupur, Ahmedabad .
Two accused — Modhsingh alias Vikramsingh Rajpurohit (48) and Bharatgiri Goswami (32) — were arrested on 12 August ; a third suspect, Deepu , remains at large. ₹25 lakh in cash and five mobile phones, together valued at ₹25.52 lakh , were recovered; the remaining ₹50 lakh is still being traced.
The gang allegedly used publicly available details from the JITO website to establish credibility with victims.
Modhsingh has 18 prior offences in Gujarat, 6 in Maharashtra, and 2 in Rajasthan dating back to around 2007 .
The case was registered under Sections 316(2) and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Kalupur Police Station after a Zero FIR transfer from Hyderabad.
Ahmedabad Police have arrested two alleged members of a gang that impersonated prominent bullion industry figure Prithviraj Kothari to defraud a Hyderabad-based businessman of ₹75 lakh through an angadia firm in Kalupur, officials said on Thursday, 13 August. A sum of ₹25 lakh has been recovered so far, while the remaining amount is still being traced.
How the Fraud Unfolded
According to police, the complainant, Rohitkumar Jain of Telangana, received a call on 8 July from a man who falsely claimed to be Prithviraj Kothari, managing director of RiddiSiddhi Bullions Ltd (RSBL) and a well-known name in India's bullion trade. The caller told Jain that ₹75 lakh needed to be transferred from Hyderabad to Kalupur through an angadia firm.
The gang allegedly introduced two associates — one posing as Ashok Jain and another as Babubhai — to facilitate the transaction. On 9 July, Jain sent the money through R Ganesh Angadia in Kalupur. Once the cash was collected by the person posing as Babubhai, all three individuals switched off their phones.
Arrests and Recovery
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Zone-3 Rupal Solanki said the Local Crime Branch (LCB) launched an investigation after the case was registered at Kalupur Police Station following the transfer of a Zero FIR from Hyderabad. The case was registered under Sections 316(2) and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
CCTV footage and analysis of the alleged modus operandi led investigators to identify the suspected main accused as Modhsingh alias Vikramsingh Rajpurohit (48), a native of Jalore district, Rajasthan, and Bharatgiri Goswami (32) of Deesa, Banaskantha district. Both were detained on 12 August under Section 35(1)(e) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. Five mobile phones and ₹25 lakh in cash — together valued at ₹25.52 lakh — were seized.
How the Gang Exploited Public Information
Police said the accused allegedly researched Jain community organisations and their events using publicly available online sources, including the JITO (Jain International Trade Organisation) website, to gather credible details about their targets and the figures they impersonated.
'The name Prithviraj Kothari is a very well-known name, and they obtain authenticated details available on the JITO website and then use those details while speaking to people. Their manner of speaking is the main basis of the offence,' DCP Solanki said. Police confirmed that Kothari himself was not implicated in the offence in any way — his identity was used without his knowledge or consent.
Kothari is a founding member and director of JITO, which had 70 chapters and 17,290 members at the time of his appointment as its chairman in September 2024. He was also appointed national president of the India Bullion and Jewellers Association in 2019 for a five-year term.
Accused's Criminal History
According to police records, Modhsingh has been involved in criminal activity since approximately 2007. A total of 18 offences have been registered against him in Gujarat — particularly in Ahmedabad — along with six cases in Maharashtra and two in Rajasthan. The charges span theft, cheating, criminal breach of trust, personation, and house-breaking.
Bharatgiri had allegedly been in contact with Modhsingh for two to three years and acted as the cash collector, reportedly promised ₹6 lakh for his role in the current case. A third associate, identified only as Deepu — suspected of posing as Ashok Jain — remains at large.
Investigation Ongoing
'The latest offence registered at Kalupur and the offences in Maharashtra and Rajasthan show that this particular modus operandi has been used,' DCP Solanki said, indicating a pattern of similar fraud across multiple states. The investigation is continuing to trace the remaining ₹50 lakh and the wanted accused. Police said some of the money was allegedly spent and some used to repay liabilities.
Point of View
Which operates on trust and speed, is a structural vulnerability: once cash is collected, recovery is nearly impossible within the fraud's short window. With 18 prior cases against the main accused and a clear cross-state pattern, the question is why earlier convictions did not disrupt the operation sooner. Law enforcement and industry bodies like JITO may need to consider whether detailed professional profiles — including phone contacts and event affiliations — warrant tighter public access controls.
NationPress
14 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Prithviraj Kothari and why was his identity used in the fraud?
Prithviraj Kothari is the managing director of RiddiSiddhi Bullions Ltd (RSBL) and a prominent figure in India's bullion industry. He is a founding member of the Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO) and served as national president of the India Bullion and Jewellers Association from 2019. His name and publicly available professional details were allegedly used by the gang to establish trust with the victim; police confirmed he had no involvement in the offence.
How did the gang carry out the ₹75 lakh fraud?
The accused allegedly called the victim posing as Prithviraj Kothari, asked for ₹75 lakh to be sent via an angadia firm in Kalupur, and deployed two associates to facilitate and physically collect the cash. Once the money was collected on 9 July, all three suspects switched off their phones. The gang reportedly used details sourced from the JITO website to sound credible.
Who has been arrested and what was recovered?
Ahmedabad Police arrested Modhsingh alias Vikramsingh Rajpurohit (48) from Jodhpur and Bharatgiri Goswami (32) from Ahmedabad on 12 August. Five mobile phones and ₹25 lakh in cash — together valued at ₹25.52 lakh — were seized. A third suspect known as Deepu remains at large.
How much money has been recovered and where is the rest?
Police have recovered ₹25 lakh of the ₹75 lakh taken. The remaining ₹50 lakh is still being traced; investigators say some of it was allegedly spent and some used to repay liabilities.
Is this an isolated case or part of a wider pattern?
This is not an isolated incident. The main accused, Modhsingh, has 18 prior offences in Gujarat, 6 in Maharashtra, and 2 in Rajasthan dating back to around 2007. DCP Rupal Solanki noted that the same modus operandi — impersonation, angadia-based cash collection, short fraud window — appears in cases across multiple states.
