The matter came to light when a Bengaluru-based woman flew up to Mumbai and approached the airport police after being cheated
The accused, Mahesh Kulkarni
The airport police have arrested a 38-year-old Juhu resident for allegedly duping many women to the tune of lakhs by posing as a businessman on matrimonial websites. Explaining the accused's modus operandi, an officer said that over the last one year, Mahesh Kulkarni had created profiles on various matrimonial sites as a paid member to target good-looking and well-off women. The matter came to light when a Bengaluru-based woman flew up to Mumbai and approached the airport police after being cheated.
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Laying the trap
The Bengaluru woman, who is in her 30s, had met Kulkarni on a matrimonial site, and after they'd become friends, Kulkarni had visited her on October 29. "During their meeting, he told her he couldn't take a flight to return to Mumbai, requesting her car for a road journey. The woman agreed," senior inspector Alka Mandave told mid-day.
After reaching Mumbai, Kulkarni stopped responding to her calls and messages. Furious, she came to Mumbai and narrated the incident to the airport police. Mandave then formed a team with assistant inspector Ganesh Andhe and others and laid a trap. The woman was told to message Kulkarni and say she had just landed in Mumbai for an investment matter, for which she had brought a lot of cash. Walking right into it, Kulkarni reached the domestic airport on Tuesday evening to receive her and was immediately arrested.
While the woman decided not to lodge any complaint against him as she got her car back, the police grilled him thoroughly. One officer even went through his phone contacts and called up several women, all of whom narrated similar tales of being cheated. "We dialled a bunch of numbers and found out that he has duped many women. We have suo motu registered a cheating case against him," said Mandave. One of the victims, a resident of Kalyan, sent her complaint against him yesterday via email.
'Come forward'
So far, seven victims have come forward, said Mandave, and added, "They are either widowed, separated or single, all of whom Kulkarni duped of jewellery and cash worth R13.5 lakh on the pretext of investment for better returns. "Kulkarni's mobile number is 9545519380. We urge all victims to come forward and lodge a complaint at their nearest police station, if they have been duped by a call from this number." An officer probing the case believes that Kulkarni has duped many others on social media too. The cops are writing to all the matrimonial sites for more details of his profiles.
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