Home guard, aide arrested for cheating woman of ₹16 lakh via matrimonial site

The accused allegedly gained the woman’s trust, used her financial details to obtain loans in her name, and then siphoned off the money

NAVI MUMBAI: A 30-year-old home guard and his associate have been arrested for allegedly cheating a woman of over ₹16 lakh after he befriended her through a matrimonial website and gained access to her banking facilities, police said. The accused allegedly gained the woman’s trust, used her financial details to obtain loans in her name, and then siphoned off the money.

The accused allegedly gained the woman’s trust, used her financial details to obtain loans in her name, and then siphoned off the money. (Shutterstock)

The arrested accused have been identified as Nagesh Arjun Pawar, 30, a home guard posted at Borivali railway station and a resident of Kandivali East, and Akash Mohanlal Verma, 26, a vegetable vendor who also resides in Kandivali East. “The exact sequence of transactions and the respective roles of the two accused are being investigated,” said a police officer.

According to investigators, the woman came into contact with Pawar through a matrimonial website around three months ago. He allegedly gained her trust and obtained a one-time password (OTP) from her, which he used to secure a loan through her credit card and banking facilities. The transactions resulted in a loss of ₹16,25,065.

The woman became aware of the alleged fraud after receiving a notification regarding an equated monthly instalment (EMI) for a loan. She then contacted the bank and correlated the transaction with her interactions with the accused. After realising she had been cheated, she approached the Vashi police to file a complaint.

“For two days, we were monitoring the area where his location was shown. We tracked where he was getting his food and other items delivered. His associate was involved in getting the scammed amount in the form of cash,” said the police officer.

Both men were subsequently arrested in connection with the case. The case was registered at the Vashi police station under sections 318(4) (cheating), 319(2) (cheating by personation), and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act.

The accused allegedly bought three mobile phones in Borivali for a total of ₹5.1 lakh using money obtained through the fraud. The police are investigating the financial transactions and the possible use of the purchased devices in the alleged offence.

The police have also received information about other cases registered against Pawar at police stations in Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai and Delhi. Verification of these cases is underway, officers said.