Over 42 hours later, I touched down in Delhi airport and caught a train straight away to Agra. Once I arrived in Agra, a rickshaw driver took me to a hotel and also insisted that he be my tour guide. After seeing the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort the next day, my rickshaw took me to the New Kashmir Handicrafts to collect my ticket and it is from here that the story really begins.

I was taken through to the back of the shop, which was now closed and shown all the stones and jewelry there whilst I waited on my ticket arriving. I was asked if I could do the gentleman a favour! I thought this was to be another pressure sale and in a way I suppose it was. Mr Singh was a jeweler who traded all over the world, or so he told me. His problem was that after a certain amount he had to pay duty on all items he imported and as a coincidence, he was coming to Scotland in February 2001, which was only two months away. He asked if I could take jewelry into the UK for him, therefore allowing him to bypass this duty he would need to pay. By this time two of Mr Singhs brothers had also entered into the room, they had shown me a receipt book with details of other people from around the world that had helped them as well as an E-Mail from someone looking for more work. After much convincing / persuasion, I had convinced myself that Mr Singh seemed like a nice guy, there was no risk involved and that I wanted to get out of there in one piece. Therefore before I knew it I was handing over my credit card to pay for over £1500 of jewelry, which would not be debited from my card as long as I turned up on the day in Glasgow, and as a bonus I would be paid for.

Three hours later on my way to Delhi I realized Mr Singh had basically given me five rings of which according to him were worth at least £1500 and I had just paid for them. However, when faced with three strangers in a closed shop with all blinds drawn in an alien city and country, hundreds of miles from home, I think it played a big part in my actions.

I think to say the least I felt very intimidated, venerable and pressurized. I knew on the train that there was not going to be any meeting back in Scotland, because all this was a roundabout way of making a huge sale. On the train I had time to gather my thoughts! Once I arrived in Delhi I immediately checked into a hotel and used the nearest phone to cancel my credit card! What I was doing was illegal but I would phone and inform Mr Singh I was not interested and he would get his rings back tomorrow. This whole deal was off or so I thought, I was too late; my card had already been debited for the £1500. At first it did not register, I really did not know what to say or think. After going over it again and thinking what I could do I had an idea. I went to the Delhi police of which I had no idea of what to expect. I told the police that Mr Singh had tricked me and given me the wrong rings. Even they were surprised at the amount I paid. After speaking to the police in the early hours of the morning they told me to speak to the police in Agra who would help me.

Needless to say I never slept that whole night. That morning I was on my way back to Agra on the first train. By a stroke of luck the Indian man sitting next to me wanted to make conversation. That man was Major John D Bosco of the Indian Army. Feeling the need to tell someone about the whole incident and Mr Bosco being the only one there, he told me exactly who to see and what to say! Once off the train I made my way to the police station with Mr Boscos instructions. I would only speak to one person, that person being the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and tell him that the British Consulate in Delhi itself had sent me after hearing about what Mr Singh had done.

Hotel room in Agra

A few hours later there I was in the back of the police jeep with police escort making our way to see Mr Singh. With rifles loaded they entered the shop and Mr Singh made a sharp exit leaving his younger brother to deal with the situation. There the police made the brother cancel the whole transaction and the rings were given back, it seemed that the brother could not do any more to make the police and I happy. With the transaction cancelled and the sense of relief, I was back in Delhi later that night. Mr Singh and his brothers knew that I was in Delhi. After all they had arranged my first hotel and one of the brothers had offered to take me around Delhi and see the sights the next day. Fearing any repercussions, I only stayed the night before moving on to Bombay first thing the next morning.

I hope this has proved to be interesting and informative. Many thanks for your interest in my article.

Kind Regards,
Scott Gavin.