Surat: Missing for five days, diamond firm manager ‘consumes poison’ in auto-rickshaw, rushed to hospital

Before he was found on Sunday, Dholakia had gone to Prayagraj where he attended the recently concluded Maha Kumbh, police said, adding that it looked like he tried to take the extreme step because he was worried about the marriage of his children.

Kiran Gems holds the distinction of having the highest number of diamond polishers working in a single firm, according to the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC). It also has the record for the highest volume of exports of diamonds, according to the council.
Police said Dholakia, working as a chief manager with Kiran Gems, had been missing since February 25. A missing persons complaint in this regard was registered with Varachha police.

Inspector M Z Patel of Utran police station, which was first informed about the alleged suicide bid, said, “Dholakia returned to Kim village on NH-48 in Surat on March 1. He then arrived at Rangoli Circle at Amroli in Surat city in an auto-rickshaw. On his way to the Surat Railway Station, he stopped the auto and purchased poison (used to kill insects in grains) from a shop. When he started vomiting after some time, the auto driver realised he had consumed the poison and rushed him to the hospital. Once he is discharged, we will record his statements in detail to know the exact reason behind the suicide bid.”

Patel said that according to Dholakia’s initial statement, after leaving home, he reached NH-48 at Kamrej in Surat district from where he took a bus to Ahmedabad. Later, he took a train to Jaipur. “He also told us that he had been to Prayagraj for the Kumbh,” the officer said. Dholakia, who belongs to Amreli in Saurashtra, has been working at Kiran Gems at Kapodra for the last two decades.

After his brother Purshottam lodged a missing persons complaint, police recovered a note and Dholakia’s mobile phone from his office drawer in the diamond factory. In the note, Dholakia purportedly mentioned that he had a lot of workload “that he could not maintain”.

Varachha police inspector R B Goziya said, “Dholakia’s financial status is good. He is the father of three adult children and was worried about their marriage. We have questioned the Kiran Gems officials and are still trying to find the exact reason.”