Social media influencer arrested for duping architect, extorting ₹93L

Ramgude, a resident of Hiranandani Estate in Thane, has more than 8,89,000 followers on his Instagram profile

THANE: A 30-year-old social media influencer from Hiranandani Estate allegedly cheated a woman of ₹93 lakh after promising to marry her. The accused, Shailesh Ramgude, was recently arrested by the police, and 1.25kg of gold, ₹51 lakh cash, four high-end mobile phones, and a BMW car were seized from his possession.

Shailesh Ramgude

Ramgude, a resident of Hiranandani Estate in Thane, has more than 8,89,000 followers on his Instagram profile, where he frequently posts content related to modelling. He allegedly misused his online influence to emotionally manipulate several women, lure them with promises of marriage, and then extract money under false pretexts.

“We arrested the accused from his residence in Hiranandani Estate on November 5. Since then, we have been trying to identify more victims and past crimes,” said senior police inspector Ram Chopde of Vishnu Nagar police station. “We believe more victims may come forward following his arrest. He has been sent to judicial custody.”

Ramgunde’s arrest follows after his latest victim, a 30-year-old architect from Dombivli who met him in September 2024 on the app, approached the police. According to her complaint, he introduced himself as a successful model working on high-profile projects before he gradually built a connection with her. When the two were romantically involved, he even proposed marriage. As the relationship progressed, in August this year, Ramgude allegedly told her that the Enforcement Directorate had raided his home and seized 2kg of gold and ₹1 crore in cash. To “settle” the matter, he requested money from her, and she transferred over ₹93 lakh in multiple transactions to him. After this, he stopped talking to her, and her attempts to recover her money were futile.