Jaipur: A day after Jaipur police arrested Ajay Kumar Nat (47) from Mumbai for allegedly purchasing looted jewellery worth nearly Rs 75 lakh at throwaway prices, investigators now suspect that the accused also deceived the same robbers he was dealing with.Police sources told TOI that Nat, the elder brother of gang leader Santosh Chauhan, earned a reputation in criminal circles as a ‘go-to’ middleman for disposing of stolen ornaments. He positioned himself as an expert in assessing the purity and value of jewellery and facilitated its sale in the grey market.However, preliminary investigations revealed that Nat not only helped robbers sell stolen jewellery but also cheated them in the process. During interrogation, arrested gang members told police that they handed over 12 gemstone necklaces and three gem-studded gold rings to Nat in Bharatpur after a robbery. Nat allegedly downplayed the value of the loot, claiming the gold was of 16-carat purity and the gemstones were fake. He paid the six robbers a mere Rs 1 lakh in total—less than a fraction of the loot’s real worth—and divided it equally among them.The case was lodged on June 3 by a complainant who reported that two men on a motorcycle smashed the window of his parked car at the Prithviraj Road red light and fled with a bag containing emerald necklaces (700 ct), nine ruby stones (1,500 ct), diamond rings, cash, and other valuables. Based on CCTV footage, police earlier detained Dharmveer alias Rahul Jat from Bharatpur. During interrogation, he named his accomplices- Santosh Singh Chauhan, Vishal alias Bissu, Aniket alias Lala, Rahul Chaudhary, and Arvind alias Neta.Police said the actual value of the stolen items was close to Rs 75 lakh and included high-grade emeralds and necklaces. Officials added that the accused is part of a gang that targets hawala traders and typically avoids detection as most victims don’t lodge formal complaints.Nat has five prior cases registered against him across police stations in Jaipur, Bharatpur, and Mumbai, including theft, criminal conspiracy, and Arms Act violations.
