Delhi Police have apprehended a 31-year-old man from Punjab for orchestrating a sophisticated online scam that targeted women seeking marriage. The accused allegedly created fraudulent profiles on popular matrimonial and social media platforms to lure victims and swindle them out of substantial sums of money.
The Modus Operandi of a Digital Deceiver
The arrest of Dashmeet Singh, a resident of Rajpura in Punjab, was executed on January 8. The case came to light after a woman from Shalimar Bagh in Delhi filed an online complaint. She reported being defrauded of Rs 86,500 by cyber criminals who had enticed her with promises of a marital future.
Following her complaint, an FIR was registered under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on October 14 of the previous year. A dedicated investigative team was formed under the leadership of Inspector Dinesh Dahiya and the supervision of ACP Rajeev Kumar to track down the culprit.
Following the Digital Trail to Punjab
The police investigation took a deep dive into the digital evidence. Officials obtained crucial details from platforms like Shaadi.com and Instagram, where the accused had created his deceptive profiles. A meticulous analysis of the financial trail revealed that Singh used a bank account to receive the illicit funds, which were then moved through various UPI transactions.
Digital footprints and advanced location analysis ultimately led the police team to Singh's operational base in Rajpura, Punjab. During the arrest, the mobile phone used to commit the crimes was successfully recovered.
Confession and Motive Behind the Scam
During interrogation, Dashmeet Singh confessed to his crimes. According to DCP Bhisham Singh, the accused stated his primary motives were twofold: to support his parents, whose financial condition was not good, and to fund his own extravagant lifestyle.
He admitted to specifically creating profiles on matrimonial and social media sites to attract and deceive women. The money he fraudulently acquired was spent on expensive liquor and parties. In an attempt to evade law enforcement, Singh frequently changed his locations, having previously resided in Delhi's Janakpuri before shifting back to Punjab.
The police have confirmed that further investigation is underway to determine if there are more victims and to uncover the full extent of this marriage fraud scam. This case serves as a stark warning for individuals using online platforms to seek partners, urging them to exercise extreme caution and verify profiles thoroughly.
