Thane: A man who posed as a wealthy hotel businessman and a successful civil engineer on a matrimonial website has been booked by Kolsewadi police for allegedly duping a divorced woman of over Rs 41.25 lakh and repeatedly sexually exploiting her under the false pretext of marriage, police said.The accused, aged 38, a resident of Nandurbar, remains at large as police launch a manhunt to trace him.According to police, the accused created a fraudulent profile on a matrimonial site and systematically targeted the victim. After establishing contact, he gained her trust by promising marriage and assuring her he would accept her young child from her previous marriage. Under the pretext of a committed future together, he established physical relations with her at various hotels in Panvel and at her Kalyan East residence over a period of several months, said a police officer.The deception took a severe financial turn as Patil allegedly swindled the victim of Rs 41 .25 lakh through a series of transactions. “He also forged vehicle documents to illegally sell one of her cars to an unsuspecting third party, while unauthorisedly seizing a second vehicle for his personal use without her consent, compounding the financial damage caused to the victim,” said a police officer quoting the complaint.Preliminary investigations suggest the accused has a history of targeting other vulnerable women using the same modus operandi, with local crime teams probing possible similar cases. A comprehensive case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for fraud, forgery, breach of trust and sexual assault. Police teams are scouting for him and seeking to apprehend the fleeing accused.
