Daijiworld Media Network - Thane

Thane, May 28: In a distressing case of fraud, a 73-year-old woman from Maharashtra’s Thane district was allegedly swindled out of more than Rs 57 lakh by a 62-year-old man who posed as a prospective groom through a newspaper matrimonial advertisement, police reported on Wednesday.

The victim, a resident of a housing society on Nana Shankarshet Road in Dombivli, came into contact with the accused after responding to his matrimonial listing. According to Vishnu Nagar police inspector Vivek Kumutkar, the man gradually gained the woman’s trust, promising marriage and a comfortable life together in Pune.

He allegedly told the woman that he was in the process of purchasing a house in Pune and persuaded her to transfer Rs 35 lakh towards the supposed property. To bolster his claims, he provided her with forged receipts and fake property documents.

The fraud didn't stop there. During a brief period when the accused stayed at the woman’s residence, he allegedly stole gold ornaments worth approximately Rs 20 lakh. He is also accused of stealing her debit card and withdrawing an additional Rs 2.4 lakh.

The man vanished after committing the fraud last month and remains untraceable, officials said.

An FIR has been registered against the accused under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including:

• Section 316(2) – Criminal breach of trust
• Section 318(2) – Cheating
• Section 305 – Theft in a dwelling house
• Sections 336(2) & 336(3) – Forgery
• Section 338 – Forgery of valuable security or will
• Section 340(2) – Using a forged document or electronic record as genuine

“We are investigating the case thoroughly and making all efforts to locate and apprehend the accused,” Inspector Kumutkar stated.

The case serves as a stark reminder of the growing dangers of fraud in matrimonial dealings, especially targeting senior citizens.