Fake ‘Aditya Patel’ profile used to trap women on matrimony site, accused arrested in Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad Crime Branch and the city's West Women Police Station have arrested a man accused of allegedly creating a fake Hindu identity on a matrimonial website to target divorced, widowed, and vulnerable women by promising marriage and then cheating them of money and valuables.

According to police, the accused, identified as Karim Rafikbhai Sipai, a resident of Kadi in Mehsana district, allegedly operated on the matrimonial platform Jeevansathi.com using the fake name ‘Aditya Patel’.

He reportedly claimed to be an MBA graduate, IT engineer and owner of a plastic manufacturing business to gain the trust of women seeking marriage alliances.

Investigators said Karim is married and has a 20-year-old son. However, he allegedly portrayed himself as a widower with no children while interacting with women on the platform.

Police said the accused allegedly created forged identity documents in the name of Aditya Patel, including Aadhaar card, PAN card, driving licence, GST registration documents and even a fake death certificate of his purported wife.

After establishing trust, he would allegedly claim to be facing temporary financial difficulties and seek money or vehicles from the women, officials said.

The case came to light after activists associated with Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) raised the issue and assisted one of the complainants.

According to claims made by the organisations, investigators examining the accused's mobile phone found folders bearing the names of around 20 different women.

The phone allegedly contained more than 8,000 photos and videos, raising concerns that the case may involve exploitation of multiple women in addition to financial fraud.

The alleged fraud was uncovered after one of the victims, a widow, became suspicious during months of communication with the accused.

According to the complaint, his real name was accidentally displayed on her phone through the Truecaller application. 

When the woman verified the address provided by him, she reportedly found it to be false.

Her suspicions grew further when the accused allegedly demanded ₹70,000 in cash citing an emergency. She subsequently approached VHP members and later filed a complaint with the police.

An ACP of the Women's Crime Wing said that based on the victim's complaint, Ahmedabad Crime Branch launched an investigation and arrested Karim Sipai.

Police have booked him under cheating provisions and relevant sections of the Information Technology Act for allegedly creating and using a false identity online.

Officials said all digital evidence recovered from the accused's phone is being sent for forensic examination, while investigators are trying to determine whether more women may have been targ

eted through the alleged racket.