Mumbai, Aug 29 (NIE): Mumbai Police is on the lookout for a jewellery designer, who allegedly fled with gold bars worth Rs 1.75 crore. The police said that complainant Omprakash Khatri (56), who owns a jewellery shop in Kalbadevi, had allegedly handed over five kg of gold bars to the jewellery designer for carving out ornaments.

According to the police, the complainant had handed over the gold bars to the suspect, Mayank Soni, in the first week of August. Soni had promised Khatri the delivery of the ornament by August 8.

An officer from LT Marg police station said, “Khatri went to his shop on August 8 and found the shop shut. He enquired about Soni from the neighbouring shop owners but he couldn’t get anything information about him.”

Khatri tried contacting Soni till Monday, following which he approached LT Marg police station and registered a case.

“The gold bars belonged to one of the complainant’s customers and this was the first time when Khatri had handed an assignment to Soni,” said a senior police officer.

The police said that they have registered a case of criminal breach of trust against Soni, and teams have been formed to locate him. “Soni originally hails from Rajasthan. A police team has been sent there to trace him,” said an investigating officer.