Rare Coin Enthusiast Killed by His Friends for Collection

coin collection

Trusting the wrong person with your private information can lead to your information being not so private anymore. Or, worst case scenario, it can lead to your death.

In the case of Suleman Mahamad Bava, he was killed by a “friend” for his coin collection.

Bava, who had lived alone since getting divorced, befriended Dr. Sarfaray Ghadiyali and his compounder Javed Sheikh. As their friendship developed, they would visit Bava at his home and Bava would visit them at their clinic in Gujarat’s Bharuch, India.

Naturally, Bava began sharing his hobby with these friends. He particularly had an interest in collecting antique coins and foreign currency notes.

Unfortunately, as happens in some friendships, he made the mistake of trusting the wrong people.

On April 10th, Dr. Ghadiyali told police that he found Bava dead in his home. His death was initially ruled accidental, but upon further investigation Bava was found to have been strangled and stabbed.

Further investigation led them right to Dr. Ghadiyali and Sheikh, who ended up confessing to the murder and theft of his coin collection.

The motive?

To pay off a debt of about $350,000. The amount stolen was worth around $585,000, as well as other cash in foreign and Indian currencies.

The moral of the story:

Be careful who you trust with knowledge about your coin collection.