Tue Dec 31 18:33:39 UTC 2024: ## Karnataka Couple Released on Bail After ₹8.42 Crore Gold Fraud
**Bengaluru, January 1, 2025** – A Karnataka High Court has granted bail to a couple accused of defrauding a jewellery shop owner of ₹8.42 crore worth of gold. Aishwarya Gowda and Harish K.N. were arrested on December 28th after Vanitha S. Aithal, owner of Vaarahi World of Gold, reported that they had borrowed and failed to return 14.6 kg of gold.
The couple allegedly posed as relatives of former MP D.K. Suresh, using their fabricated connections to gain the complainant’s trust. They initially borrowed and returned jewellery, before securing a much larger loan of gold between October 2023 and January 2024.
Justice Hemant Chandangoudar ordered their release, citing the police’s failure to provide the accused with written grounds for arrest, a violation of a Supreme Court ruling. While the court mandated their cooperation with the ongoing investigation and prohibited tampering with evidence or witnesses, the procedural error led to the bail order.
Former MP D.K. Suresh himself issued a statement on December 30th, distancing himself from the accused and urging the police to take appropriate action. The investigation into the alleged fraud continues.
First Piper 