A bullion trader from Ahmedabad fell victim to a fraud where he lost 2 kg of gold, valued at Rs 1.3 crore, after being duped by individuals using counterfeit currency notes featuring Bollywood actor Anupam Kher’s image.

Mehul Thakkar, a trader dealing in gold and silver, was contacted on September 23 by the manager of Laxmi Jewellers, a long-time business associate, to inquire about the price of over 2 kg of gold for a third-party buyer.

Given his 15-year business relationship with the manager, Thakkar proceeded with the deal, agreeing to sell the gold for Rs 1.6 crore.

The following day, on September 24, Thakkar was informed by the manager that the buyer needed the gold urgently but was experiencing technical difficulties with RTGS (Real Time Gross Settlement). The buyer proposed to provide a cash deposit and promised to transfer the remaining amount later.

The transaction was set to occur at an Angadia (traditional money courier) firm in the Navrangpura area. Thakkar sent one of his employees to complete the deal. At the location, three individuals were present, one of whom was operating a currency counting machine. After the gold was handed over, Thakkar’s employee examined the Rs 1.3 crore cash deposit and realized the notes were fake. Instead of Mahatma Gandhi’s image, the notes featured actor Anupam Kher’s likeness, and the notes bore a stamp of the "Star Bank of India" rather than the State Bank of India (SBI).

Upon realizing the scam, Thakkar and the manager of Laxmi Jewellers rushed to the Angadia office, only to find that the firm had been set up just two days prior. When they attempted to contact the individual who had facilitated the deal, his phone was switched off.

Thakkar immediately lodged a police complaint, and authorities have since launched an investigation, reviewing CCTV footage from the area to track down the fraudsters.

The incident even caught the attention of Anupam Kher, who reacted on social media, humorously tweeting, "My photo instead of Gandhiji’s photo on Rs 500 notes???? Anything can happen."