In a major breakthrough, the Rabale Police have successfully recovered ₹14.70 lakh for a 30-year-old woman from Airoli who was allegedly duped of ₹20 lakh by a fraudster posing as a scientist from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on a matrimonial website. The accused, a resident of Uran, developed contact with the woman under the pretext of marriage.
Deception Through Matrimonial Website
According to the police, the incident took place between June 5 and August 19 this year. The accused came in contact with the complainant through a matrimonial platform, where he falsely claimed to be an ISRO scientist and expressed his intention to marry her. Over several meetings, he gained her trust, visited her residence in Airoli, and convinced her that he needed funds urgently to purchase land in Baroda, Gujarat.
Fraudulent Transfer and Betrayal of Trust
“Believing his story, the woman availed a pre-approved personal loan of ₹20 lakh and transferred ₹14.7 lakh via RTGS and ₹5 lakh in cash to accounts provided by the accused,” police said, quoting the complaint. However, after receiving the money, the accused abruptly stopped all communication and went incommunicado.
Police Action and Recovery of Funds
“When she could no longer reach him, the woman realised she had been cheated and approached us. We registered the case, froze the accused’s bank accounts, and recovered ₹14.70 lakh, which has been returned to the complainant,” said Senior Police Inspector Balakrishna Sawant of Rabale Police Station.
The case has been registered under Sections 69 (sexual intercourse through deceitful means), 319(2) (cheating by personation), and 318(4) (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Cyber Team’s Swift Coordination
The cyber investigation team, led by Woman Assistant Police Inspector Alka Patil, along with PSI Sameer Bagade, WPC Priya Dubey, PC Vikas Rale, and PC Sunil Fatanngre, meticulously traced the money trail across multiple banks and successfully froze the fraudulent accounts. Their swift action led to the recovery of the defrauded amount.
Ongoing Investigation
Police officials confirmed that efforts are underway to trace and arrest the accused, who remains absconding. Authorities have also cautioned citizens to exercise caution while engaging with individuals on matrimonial and social networking platforms, especially when financial transactions are involved.
