Mumbai Crime: Man promises to marry 59-year-old woman, dupes her of Rs 9.5 lakh

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Assuming a fake identity, a man duped a 59-year-old woman of Rs 9.5 lakh. The man had promised to marry the woman after getting acquainted with her in 2015 via a matrimonial advertisement.

While the accused's actual identity has been identified as Arun Gurav, he assumed the name of Madhukar Apte in his correspondence with the complainant. Apte claimed to be a Mulund-based divorcee, working at a private firm.

While the woman tried to push the accused for marriage, he kept giving reasons as to why it had to wait. A report in the Hindustan Time quotes the victim's complaint as having stated, "We started talking over the phone but I wanted him to meet my family. After some days, he met my mother and sister. He initially said his mother had a heart attack. Later, he took more money to purchase a plot in Ratnagiri."

The complainant's initial suspicions arose when Apte asked her for the money to be transferred into the account of on Arun Gurav. On being questioned, the accused claimed that Gurav was a friend. He even handed the complainant a cheque for Rs 9.75 lakh, to clear the dues. However, the cheque bounced.

The HT report also quotes the complainant as having added, "When I tried contacting him later, his phone was switched off. When my sister went there, she learnt that no one called Apte stayed there. A woman opened the door, who told us she was Gurav's wife." The accused then confessed to having adopted a fake identity. A case has been registered under Sections 419 and 420 of the Indian PEnal Code.

Also Read: The Three Potholes On The Road Of Marriage

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