Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
A 59-year-old teacher, who was looking for a new lease of life, allegedly lost Rs 2.27 crore over a period of five years to a “groom” she met on a matrimonial portal, the Bengaluru police said. The matter came to light when the victim approached the East Division of the Cybercrime, Economic Offences and Narcotics (CEN) wing of the police on October 3.
According to investigators, the victim, a resident of East Bengaluru, works in a central government-run school. She lost her husband, and her son does not live with her. Seeking a partner, she found a match on jeevansathi.com in December 2019. The ‘groom’ introduced himself as Aahan Kumar, a US citizen living in Atlanta.
Kumar, who claimed to have completed his postgraduation from Georgia University, told the victim that he was a drilling engineer for “Lukoil company in Istanbul”, and worked on a rig in the Black Sea. Soon, the two decided to tie the knot, officers said.
In the First Information Report (FIR), the complainant said that the fraudster often called her and asked about her well-being. “I was impressed by his mature behaviour, caring attitude, etc. In January 2020, he asked me money as he did not have sufficient funds for food. Out of kindness, I sent him money. The contact number of one Madhavi was shared by him for transactions,” she stated.
The victim said they communicated over WhatsApp and he assured her that any money taken from her would be considered a loan. Once the company paid his fee at the end of his contract period, which he said was six months, the borrowed amount would be returned to her. “Trusting his words and respecting the bond we shared, I agreed to his demands,” the woman said.
While asking her for money, Kumar allegedly cited several reasons, including repairing the drilling machines due to a storm in the Black Sea, paying various fines to officials, medical treatments, etc. Over five years, the woman transferred a total of Rs 2.27 crore, availing of loans from various banks, the police added.
In November 2024, Kumar asked her for Rs 3.5 lakh, but by then she suspected that something was wrong and sought all her money back. However, he dodged her by giving false assurances. Finally, the woman shared her ordeal with friends and relatives who asked her to file a police complaint, an officer said.
The East CEN police have booked the man under sections 66(c) (identity theft) and 66(d) (cheating by personation by using computer resources) of the Information Technology Act and under Section 318 (4) (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
