Searching for a life partner on a matrimonial website turned into a costly ordeal for a 32-year-old software engineer woman after a fraudster allegedly duped her of ₹21 lakh on the pretext of marriage and later handed her a bag filled with toy currency notes instead of real cash.
The incident was reported from March 2025 to till date and the accused has been arrested, said police. It came to light in the Nanded City area, following which Sinhgad Road police registered a cheating case against the accused, identified as Gorkhanath Gavandkar, a resident of Raigad district.
According to police, the complainant had registered on the matrimonial platform, where she came in contact with the accused. Gavandkar allegedly expressed his desire to marry the woman and gradually gained her trust.
Police said that after developing a close relationship, the accused claimed he was facing a severe financial crisis and convinced the woman to give him ₹21 lakh in cash over a period of time.
When the woman repeatedly demanded her money back, the accused allegedly called her to a hotel on Sinhgad Road to return the amount. During the meeting, he handed over a black bag to the woman and allegedly told her that it contained ₹50 lakh in cash. He allegedly instructed her to deduct her ₹21 lakh and transfer the remaining amount to his account through RTGS before hurriedly leaving the spot.
However, after opening the bag at the hotel, the woman was shocked to discover that it was filled with fake toy currency notes. Realising that she had been cheated, she immediately approached the Sinhgad Road police station and lodged a complaint on Sunday.
{{/usCountry}}However, after opening the bag at the hotel, the woman was shocked to discover that it was filled with fake toy currency notes. Realising that she had been cheated, she immediately approached the Sinhgad Road police station and lodged a complaint on Sunday.
{{/usCountry}}Sameer Kadam, assistant police inspector, said, “The accused was arrested and further questioning is going on.”
Police have registered a case under relevant sections 316(2) and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and investigation is underway.