Bengaluru school teacher loses Rs 2.27 crore to man she met on matrimonial site

Bengaluru, Oct 6 (PTI) A 59-year-old school teacher was allegedly defrauded of over Rs 2.27 crore by a man she met on a matrimonial portal, police said on Monday.

The woman is a widow and has a son who doesn't live with her. Being alone, she wanted to have a life partner and registered herself on a matrimonial portal, they said.

According to the complaint, in December 2019, she reportedly connected with a man identified as Aahan Kumar, a US citizen based in Atlanta, through the matrimonial portal.

The accused, who claimed to be a drilling engineer for a company in Istanbul, Turkey, allegedly built a friendship with her over time and addressed her as his wife.

"Over the time period friendship grew and soon he agreed to be my partner, started addressing me his wife. Many times he called and spoke to me asking my wellbeing. I was impressed by his mature behavior, caring attitude etc," the FIR read.

The FIR stated that in January 2020, the accused asked her money as he did not have sufficient funds for food. Out of kindness, she sent him money through online transaction to an account provided by him. The duo communicated through a mobile phone app.

He continued to request for more money, citing reasons such as repair works, fines payable to officials, medical expenses, and living costs.

The complainant claimed she transferred money to the accused through multiple bank accounts in India, totaling Rs 2.27 crore, the FIR stated.

Despite repeated demands for repayment, the woman alleged that the accused gave her false assurances and did not return the money. She further claimed that the accused recently demanded an additional Rs 3.5 lakh, prompting her to approach the police on October 3.

Based on her complaint, a case was registered under relevant sections of the Information Technology Act and sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, police said, adding that further investigation is underway. PTI AMP SA