Delhi: Man dupes divorced woman of gold worth lakhs as prospective groom

The Delhi Police arrested a man and his accomplice for allegedly duping and cheating a divorced woman of her gold jewellery worth lakhs by posing as a prospective groom on a matrimonial platform, police said on Saturday.

The accused, identified as Abhinav Singh (31) and Karan Sharma (26), were arrested in connection with a cheating case registered at Parliament Street police station on February 17, they said.

The case came to light after a 35-year-old woman from Panipat alleged that she had met Abhinav on a matrimonial portal, a senior police officer.

“He persuaded her to meet at a religious place in Delhi and convinced her to hand over her gold bracelets and chain on the pretext of safekeeping before fleeing with the jewellery, her mobile phones and documents,” the officer added.

Investigators analysed CCTV footage from more than 200 cameras and used technical surveillance to trace the accused, leading to their arrest within 24 hours, he said.

During interrogation, Abhinav allegedly confessed to targeting divorced women across several cities by posing as a prospective groom and gaining their trust. Police said he collaborated with Sharma, a cab driver, who arranged a vehicle with a fake number plate to help him escape after committing the crimes.

The stolen jewellery was later mortgaged at a gold-buying shop in Malviya Nagar for around Rs 3 lakh, of which the accused had already received Rs 1 lakh, police said, adding that the jewellery has been recovered.

Additionally, cash amounting to Rs 64,000, two mobile phones, the complainant’s documents, and the vehicle used in the crime have been seized. The police are currently examining the role of the shop owner and are working to identify other potential victims.

Abhinav was previously arrested in a cheating case in 2024 and had absconded after being released on parole, police added.

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