Business ‘at standstill’: Gujarat High Court gives accused extra time for bail deposit

A Surat man accused of orchestrating a Rs 4.80-crore international diamond fraud has obtained a one-month extension from the Gujarat High Court to pay the remaining half of his bail surety. The accused pleaded that his prolonged incarceration had brought his diamond business to a "complete standstill", leaving him unable to raise the full amount on time.

Harekrushna alias Hari Kamleshbhai Raval was arrested on March 25 in connection with a case involving fake online profiles of US-based buyers created using virtual phone numbers to cheat local diamond traders. In July, the High Court granted regular bail to Raval after he offered to deposit Rs 10 lakh before the trial court within two months of his release.

His brother had submitted an undertaking to this effect, making the deposit a key condition of the bail. However, as the deadline approached, Raval moved the High Court seeking more time. His counsel informed the court that despite "relentless efforts", Raval could only arrange Rs 5 lakh because his business had collapsed while he was in jail, leaving him with no source of income.

Accepting the request in view of the "peculiar facts" of the case, Justice Hasmukh D Suthar granted a final one-month extension to deposit the remaining Rs 5 lakh. "No further extension will be given to the applicant," the court cautioned while directing him to complete the deposit within the new timeline.

The case stems from an FIR registered at the Surat Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) police station following a complaint by Sanjaybhai Jadavbhai Goti, proprietor of Nilkanth Solitaire. According to the complaint, the accused used RapNet, now Rapaport Trade, a popular online diamond trading platform, to create fake buyer profiles that mimicked legitimate US-based companies.

Using WhatsApp and virtual phone numbers, the syndicate built trust with local traders and induced them to ship high-value diamonds to Dubai and Bangkok without making payments. Goti alleged that seven diamonds worth Rs 4.80 crore were delivered to the syndicate, but no payment was ever received.

During the initial bail hearing in July, the prosecution opposed Raval's plea, arguing that his role differed from that of co-accused who had already secured bail. The prosecution further argued that the money trail led to Raval and that he had allegedly received Rs 20 lakh from selling one of the unrecovered diamonds.

The High Court, however, noted that six of the seven diamonds had already been recovered from co-accused. Factoring in the completion of the investigation, the filing of the chargesheet, Raval's clean criminal record, and his offer to deposit Rs 10 lakh, half of his alleged proceeds, the court granted him bail.

Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues.

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