Surat: Police arrested a 34-year-old man from Junagadh on Wednesday for his alleged involvement in a cheating case of Rs 87,000 registered against him at Varachha police station in 2002. The accused, formerly a diamond trader, changed his religion and had also got married leaving his first wife to escape from the long arm of the law, police investigation revealed.

Police arrested Mahesh alias Moin alias Bapu Vallabh Bhalodi from Hanuman Temple Lane, Bapasitaram Madhi, Nandanvan Market, Junagadh. The accused, a native of Moviyata village in Gondal taluka of Rajkot district, had duped a diamond trader in association with two others of Rs 87,000.

The accused had taken 43 carat rough diamonds from another trader saying he wanted to show them to his clients. The accused returned the packet to the trader after some time but when he checked, it had beads inside.

Bhalodi escaped from the city leaving his wife and daughter behind and took shelter in a Muslim-dominated area of Junagadh. He developed relationship with a woman from that community and changed his religion. He became Moin Bapu and got married to the woman who bore him three children. He initially worked as a 'munjavar' at a dargah and later became a tempo driver.

"We received specific information about him after 14 years of crime and the accused who had changed his religion, name and got married for second time was arrested from Junagadh," said K K Gohil, police sub-inspector, absconders squad of city police.



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