Death – Obituary – Accident and Crime News : Mumbai cyber police have made two arrests in connection with a case of cheating and threatening individuals on a matrimonial site. The accused, identified as Sunil Modi, 67, and Sanket Chavan, 23, created a fake profile on a popular matrimonial site, pretending to be a 21-year-old woman magistrate named Ashwini Manohar Pandit.
The duo went to great lengths to make the profile seem authentic, even forging documents that showed their fake persona as a Judicial Magistrate First Class. Using this false identity, they would threaten their victims with warrants if they did not pay up. To further intimidate their targets, they created forged warrants as proof of their credibility.
Their scheme was eventually uncovered when a software engineer lodged a complaint about being conned in a similar manner. Inspector Suvarna Shinde and her team arrested Modi and Chavan, both of whom have prior criminal records. It was revealed that the two had met in prison and decided to join forces upon their release.
The investigation also revealed that the accused had used court stamps to create documents that portrayed Ashwini Pandit as a magistrate. They even used the photograph of an unsuspecting influencer from Nashik for their fake profile, which quickly gained attention on the matrimonial site.
Once suitors expressed interest, Chavan would speak to them, pretending to be Ashwini. After a few days, the fake magistrate would ask for money, claiming that she had forgotten her wallet and needed to visit a doctor. If the victim refused to pay, she would threaten to issue an arrest warrant against them. Some were even sent photographs of the forged warrant to further coerce them into making payments.
The police have discovered that victims from various parts of the state, including Nashik, Ratnagiri, and Mumbai, fell prey to this elaborate scam. Investigators are now sifting through the fake profile to identify other potential victims and trace the extent of the fraud.
This arrest highlights the importance of exercising caution when interacting with individuals online, especially on matrimonial sites. It serves as a reminder to verify the authenticity of profiles and to report any suspicious activity to the authorities.