Merc handed over in lieu of stuck gold investments

Hours after taking over the multi-crore investigation involving Goodwin Jewellers – the promoters of which are untraceable -- the Thane police Economic Office Wing on Tuesday seized a Mercedes Benz car allegedly given to an investor by Suneel Kumar, chairman of the company, against unpaid investments of Rs. 70 lakh.

EOW sources said that the vehicle had been brought to Ramnagar police station following its seizure and efforts were on to obtain details of the investments made by the depositor in a Godwin gold scheme.

"Around Rs 70 lakh of his investments were stuck in this gold scheme," revealed an EOW official, while refusing to identify the depositor. "We suspect that the Kumar brothers (promoters of Goodwin) handed over the car as they were planning to go underground," he added.

The estimated market value of the seized vehicle is put at Rs 1 crore.

The Thane police have already issued look out notices for Suneel and Sudhir Kumar, who is the managing director of the company, to prevent them from escaping overseas.

Along with the Kumar brothers, the manager at the Dombivli branch of Goodwin Jewellers, Manish Kundi, has also been mentioned as an accused in the FIR, which has been registered under IPC Section 420 (cheating) and 406 (criminal breach of trust).

Meanwhile, sources said that complaints have been pouring in at various police stations across Thane ever since the scam erupted last week.

Till Monday, the Ramnagar police at Dombivli had registered 69 complaints: the losses suffered by these investors are pegged at Rs 3.87 crore (And this, mind you, is only at Manpada branch of Goodwin).

The Naupada police received 105 complaints in two days; the loss is pegged at Rs 2.80 crore (At Talawpali branch of Goodwin).

In Shivaji Nagar police station at Ambernath, 80 complaints were received in two days; the investment in jeopardy is pegged at Rs 2.5 crore. Senior police inspector from Shivaji Nagar police station M J Bagga said, "We have issued notices to five staffers of Shivaji Nagar, Goodwin branch, for recording their statement.’’

The scam came to light last Tuesday when investors at the Goodwin Jewellers' Manpada Road branch at Dombivli found the shutters down. Those who made inquiries at their residence drew a blank. Following this, protests were held outside Goodwin's Talao Pali branch at Thane on Friday evening.

The Goodwin Jewellers group has 12 branches in Thane, Navi Mumbai, Mumbai and Kerala, many of which are now shut.