Pune (Maharashtra) [India], June 26 (ANI): The Cyber Crime Unit of the Pune City Police has apprehended an Indian-origin Australian national for allegedly duping a woman of 3.60 crore through a fraudulent profile on a matrimonial website, officials said on Thursday.

Officials stated that the accused, operating under the fake identity of 'Dr. Rohit Oberoi,' was detained at Mumbai Airport upon arrival from Singapore, following a Lookout Circular (LOC) issued by the authorities.

According to Pankaj Deshmukh, Additional Commisioner of Police (Crime), Pune City Police, 'the victim came in contact with the accused through a profile on a leading matrimonial website. The man claimed to be a PHD holder in Business Administration and an entrepreneur based in Australia. Over time, he emotionally manipulated the victim, promised marriage, and duped the victim for 3.60 cr on the pretext of boosting her start-up at an international level.'

To support his fake business proposal, the victim was coaxed into transferring a total of 3,60,04,880 in multiple transactions in various bank accounts The accused maintained continuous contact through WhatsApp and messaging platforms, fabricating documents and fake emergencies to gain her trust later after getting the money he started ignoring the women by saying that he has mouth cancer'.

Upon realising women had been duped, she lodged a complaint with the Cyber Police in Pune. A case was registered in November 2024 under BNS Section 319(1) 319(2) 318(1) 318(2) 318(4), and relevent sections of the IT Act. The investigation, led by Senior Police Inspector Swarnali Shinde, revealed the accused's real name as Abhishek Shukla, a native of Lucknow, UP, currently residing in Perth, Australia.

Further technical investigation uncovered that the accused had contacted over 3,948 women through similar fake profiles on multiple matrimonial websites, raising concerns that more women may have been defrauded.

Based on intelligence inputs, a LOC was issued on June 24, 2025. The accused was intercepted and arrested upon landing in Mumbai and is currently in police custody till 29 June.

Additional Commissioner Pankaj Deshmukh has appealed to the public, particularly women, to exercise caution while engaging on matrimonial websites and to report any suspicious activity immediately to the Cyber Crime Helpline (1930) or via the cybercrime.gov.in portal.

Pune Police have also urged women who may have interacted with the fake profile or experienced similar fraud to come forward and contact Senior Officials of the city police for assistance.

The operation was carried out under the guidance of Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar, Joint Commissioner Ranjankumar Sharma, and Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Pankaj Deshmukh. (ANI)