BHUBANESWAR: A 34-year-old man who conned four women - illegally married at least two of them - while wooing 49 others on a matrimonial site was arrested by Commissionerate Police which launched an operation called ‘Dulhe Raja’ to nab him.
Accused Satyajit Managobind Samal of Jajpur district, who would pose as a police officer, and sometimes as a central government employee, had duped one woman of Rs 36 lakh on the pretext of marrying her.
It was basing on the complaint of the woman that Capital police registered a case in February and went after Samal.
The complainant said Samal contacted her on a matrimonial site by impersonating as a police officer and cheated her of Rs 36 lakh. He also had physical relationship with her on the promise of marriage. However, when the woman realised Samal’s intentions, she demanded her money. Samal reportedly terrorised her using a gun and fled.
During investigation, police found out that the complainant, a working professional, took loans from at least four banks to give Rs 27 lakh cash to Samal in different phases. She even bought a Maruti Baleno worth Rs 8.15 lakh for Samal.
Police registered a separate case after ascertaining that Samal had cheated another woman after contacting her on a matrimonial site. He took Rs 8.60 lakh and a Royal Enfield Interceptor bike worth Rs 3.50 lakh from her on the pretext of marriage.
Samal was staying on rent in Chandrasekharpur area but would flee to Dubai after cheating the victims. As he frequently went abroad, it was a challenge for Commissionerate Police which decided to turn the tables on Samal using his own game.
“We laid a trap and a woman police officer was assigned the task of chatting with him on the matrimonial site expressing interest to marry him,” said Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissioner, Sanjeeb Panda. When Samal was compelled to return to Bhubaneswar to meet the undercover officer who acted as a ‘prospective bride’, he was arrested by the police.
Investigation revealed he had married two other women based out of Kolkata and New Delhi and had taken one car each from them. Police recovered marriage certificates from the two women staying outside the state, said sources.
“Samal impersonated as police or central government official to cheat women on matrimonial sites. He mostly targeted separated women and took cash from them on the promise of marriage. He used the ill-gotten wealth to buy cars and motorcycles,” said DCP Prateek Singh.
He then rented out those cars to travel agencies and made easy money. Samal, a graduate, told the police that he was employed with Starbucks in Dubai and his claims are being verified, said sources.
Police seized one car and a motorcycle, a gun, Rs 2.10 lakh cash and other articles from him. Samal cheated four women in the last two years. So far, police have established that he was chatting with 49 other women on the matrimonial sites. He will be brought on police remand for further questioning, said sources.