Ahmedabad woman duped of over ₹6.8 lakh by man she met on matrimonial app

A 41-year-old woman from Ghodasar, Ahmedabad has filed a complaint against a Mumbai-based man for allegedly raping her and cheating her of over ₹6.8 lakh, including gold ornaments and cash, after gaining her trust under the pretext of marriage.

As per the FIR filed at Odhav police station, Sushma Patel (name changed) met the accused Aryan Sureshbhai Patel through a matrimonial app in June 2024. Aryan, who claimed to be divorced and based in Mumbai, established contact with her and soon began visiting her residence.

Over the course of a few days in mid-June, Aryan stayed at the complainant’s home and allegedly convinced her and her family of his intentions to marry her. He also proposed starting a TVS vehicle showroom in the name of her 20-year-old son and allegedly took them to various locations to book properties and cars in their names, further gaining their confidence.

On the night of June 14, Aryan reportedly sent her son out of the house on the pretext of bringing snacks and forcibly established physical relations with her against her will, despite her objections and appeals to wait until marriage.

The following day, on her birthday, Aryan allegedly persuaded her to withdraw ₹4 lakh from her fixed deposit account at the Bank of Baroda, under the guise of needing the funds for a business franchise. The woman later discovered that several gold ornaments including her wedding ring and jewellery belonging to her son worth ₹2.8 lakh, along with bank passbooks and chequebooks, had gone missing from their home.

When she tried to contact Aryan, he allegedly gave evasive replies and threatened her, stating that if she approached the police, he would reveal their physical relationship and tarnish her reputation, adding that multiple cases were already registered against him and he was not afraid of the consequences.

Fearing social stigma and concerned for her son and mother, the complainant initially hesitated to approach the police. However, after months of distress, she decided to come forward and seek legal action. Isanpur police have registered a case under relevant sections of BNS including rape, cheating, and criminal breach of trust. Further investigation is underway.