‘Polisher’ steals 16 grams from 50-gram gold chain

Beware salesmen who promise to polish your gold jewellery for free. A homemaker lost 16 grams from her 50-gram gold chain after giving it to a dubious salesman for polishing.

The salesman approached Sheethal H, a resident of Vishweshwaraiah Layout near Bagalagunte, around 12.45 pm on March 12. Introducing himself as a representative of a company that makes polishing powders, he offered to polish gold and silver jewellery within a short time. He said the company had undertaken a marketing campaign and was offering free polishing services.

Sheethal wasn't convinced at first. She asked him to give her the powder and she would scrub the jewellery herself. He replied that he was not allowed to sell the powder. At this time, Sheethal handed him a silver anklet and asked that it be polished. The salesman quickly polished the anklet and gave it back. He also gave her a red-coloured powder that can be used to polish the anklet.

Sheethal was impressed by the result: the anklet shone brightly after the polishing. She then decided to get the gold chain polished, too. The salesman obliged her and gave the chain back, asking her to rinse it after 10 minutes. He left at once, saying he has to attend to one of Sheethal's neighbours.

When Sheethal rinsed the chain after 10 minutes, she found it a bit lighter. She quickly rushed to a jeweller's to get it measured. The jeweller told her the chain weighs 34 grams, a full 16 grams less than the original weight.

Sheethal visited her neighbour to see if the salesman was still around. But he had gone. She later filed a police complaint. Bagalagunte police said they were reviewing the CCTV footage to identify the suspect.