Mumbai: A 36-year-old man from Virar was arrested on Saturday for allegedly defrauding several women of lakhs of rupees by promising marriage through matrimonial websites and apps. The accused created a fake profile, posing as a wealthy and eligible bachelor to trap victims, the police said.
According to the police, the accused, Viraj Bala Saheb Bhonsale, allegedly impersonated a senior executive at a reputed firm, a film industry director and even a business tycoon based abroad to gain the trust of vulnerable women. After establishing contact, he would claim to have run into financial trouble and seek money from them.
“Bhonsale flaunted bundles of cash during video calls to project an image of affluence. He promised marriage and a future abroad. Once the victims placed their trust in him, he began asking for money on the pretext of emergencies such as an Enforcement Directorate raid or business losses,” said a police officer.
The case came to light after a Dahisar resident approached the police, alleging she had been cheated of ₹6 lakh. When she insisted on fixing a wedding date, the accused reportedly began avoiding her and eventually cut off contact, the officer added.
Assistant police inspector of the cyber division, Shraddha Patil, arrested Bhonsale from Virar following technical analysis and digital tracking.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the accused may have targeted more than a dozen women using a similar modus operandi. Police are scrutinising his bank accounts, financial transactions and social media activity. The total fraud amount is suspected to run into crores.
“We have arrested the accused and are investigating how many more women were targeted and since when he has been committing the fraud,” the officer added.