Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Bagsewaniya police on Wednesday arrested a man for allegedly raping and duping two women of nearly Rs 80 lakh after befriending them on a matrimonial website. The accused’s wife, who allegedly assisted him in the fraud, is still to be arrested.
Police said the accused, Avinash Prajapati, posed as a divorcee on a matrimonial site and claimed to own a steel factory in Chhattisgarh. He connected with the two women, both divorcees, separately on the site.
One of the victims is a 34-year-old bank clerk from Awadhpuri, and the other a beautician from Ashoka Garden. Prajapati first contacted the Awadhpuri woman in December 2024, while he began chatting with the other victim in April 2025.
To gain their trust, Prajapati allegedly introduced his wife, Chandrika, as his mother. The victims believed him owing to the difference in their age.
The victims alleged that Prajapati got intimate with them with the promise of marriage. During these encounters, Chandrika allegedly secretly filmed them, which the accused later used to blackmail them.
Until August this year, Prajapati allegedly got intimate with both the complainants at different locations.
Police officials said that Prajapati convinced the first victim to invest Rs 40 lakh, including gold jewellery, into his so-called business. When she pressed for marriage, he allegedly refused, leading her to attempt suicide before her family intervened. The second victim was similarly trapped and cheated of about Rs 40 lakh.
On September 2, following their joint complaint, an FIR was registered. Bagsewaniya police station in-charge Amit Soni said Prajapati is being interrogated further.
