CHENNAI: The city police on Monday arrested a much-married man following a complaint a 43-year-old private college assistant professor at Thirumangalam.
Police said Antony Cruz (43), native of Athipakkam near Thirukovilur in Erode district, married the college professor on May 5, 2014, after the match-making was done online and through marriage brokers. They lived in Thirumangalam and Cruz, who claimed that he was running a parcel service in Erode, sought `1 lakh to invest in his business. The professor was suspicious and asked her relative, who was a cop, to check on him.
The background check proved that there was no such service. When Cruz left for Erode the second time, the woman followed him and found that he had another family there.
After her husband left, Mary checked with Rani (name changed), a widow and typist who claimed that she married him in 2013. Mary lodged a complaint and a trap was laid to lure Cruz back to the city, where he was caught.
Investigation revealed that Cruz had married a third woman, Shanthi (name changed), a government teacher, in 2004. Before that he had married Sagaya Mary in 1997 with whom he had two children. Sagaya Mary committed suicide in 2003. In each case, Cruz took money from the wife and pawned her jewellery as well.
Police registered a case and arrested Cruz.