Man who posed as cop, cheated women after befriending them on matrimonial site arrested

The police here have arrested a man who allegedly posed as a Delhi crime branch officer and cheated several women after befriending them on a matrimonial site and promising to marry them, officials said on Thursday.

The accused, Himanshu Yogeshbahi Panchal (26), was caught on Tuesday from his native place Ahmedabad after a probe into a case registered by Valiv police in Maharashtra's Palghar district following a woman's complaint, according to a police release.

During the interrogation of the accused, it came to light that he had duped around a dozen women in the same way after connecting with them through the matrimonial site, the release said.

The accused used to pose as an officer from the Cyber Security Cell of the Delhi Police crime branch, it said.

He duped the woman in Valiv after connecting with her through the matrimonial site and promising to marry her.

The accused allegedly called the woman to various hotels and lodges and raped her on multiple occasions. He also gave her a fake diamond as a gift, the Valiv police said.

Based on the woman's complaint, the Valiv police had registered an FIR against the man under Sections 64 (2) (rape) and 318 (4)(cheating by impersonation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The police probe team worked on several leads and arrested the man from Ahmedabad on Tuesday, the release said.

Further probe was under way into the case, the police added.