Matrimonial Website Scam: Pune Bank Employee Sexually Assaulted, Duped Of ₹38 Lakh

A man posing as a senior government official allegedly sexually assaulted a 30-year-old woman and duped her of ₹38 lakh, police said on Tuesday. The incident took place under the jurisdiction of the Mundhwa Police Station in Pune. The accused has been identified as Imamuddin Shaikh, a native of Hyderabad. The victim, a native of Mumbai, works as a bank employee in Mundhwa.

According to the police, the victim had registered on a matrimonial website six months ago. The accused, Shaikh, contacted the victim, showing interest in her profile and expressing his intention to marry her. Shaikh met the woman while posing as a senior government official.

After winning her trust, Shaikh demanded money from the victim to invest in his "real estate business" for "their future". The victim gave him around ₹38 lakh. Additionally, Shaikh established a physical relationship with the victim.

However, when the victim started asking him about marriage, Shaikh began giving evasive responses. Soon, she discovered that she had been cheated and subsequently registered a complaint at the Mundhwa Police Station.

Nilkanth Jagtap, Senior Police Inspector at Mundhwa Police station, speaking to The Free Press Journal, said, "The accused Imamuddin Shaikh is a native of Hyderabad. He is currently in Thane jail. During the preliminary investigation, it came to light that Shaikh had previously committed various frauds. Around eight cases have been registered against him at multiple police stations. We are investigating the matter further."