A 40-year-old man was arrested for allegedly posing as both a medical doctor and a bank official on a matrimonial website and duping a woman and her family out of Rs 22.70 lakh on the pretext of marriage, police said on Thursday.
Bhubaneswar Police Commissioner S. Dev Datta Singh said the arrest was made in relation to a case filed at the Pahal police station.
The investigation began after a complaint detailed how the victim, who had set up a matrimonial profile in 2021, was contacted by a man. The suspect initially claimed to be a physician seeking a suitable bride for his brother.
Between June and December 2021, the accused reportedly convinced the complainant and her relatives to transfer a total of Rs 22.70 lakh, using various fabricated emergencies and pretexts, Commissioner Singh stated.
During the investigation, police discovered that the two mobile numbers used to ‘impersonate’ the doctor and the banking official were both being operated from the same mobile device and belonged to the same suspect, police said.
Further probe is underway to ascertain whether he had similarly cheated other women, they added.
