A man (26) who allegedly posed as a Delhi Crime Branch officer and deceived multiple women through a matrimonial site has been arrested, Maharashtra police said on Thursday.
The accused, identified as Himanshu Yogeshbahi Panchal, was apprehended on Tuesday in Ahmedabad following an investigation into a complaint filed by a woman in Maharashtra’s Palghar district. The case was registered by the Valiv police, according to an official statement.
During interrogation, authorities discovered that Panchal had used the same scheme to cheat around a dozen women. He allegedly claimed to be an officer from the cyber security cell of the Delhi Police’s Crime Branch, gaining their trust before defrauding them.
In the Palghar case, he reportedly connected with the victim through the matrimonial site, promised to marry her, and then lured her to various hotels and lodges, where he sexually assaulted her multiple times. Police also revealed that he had given the woman a fake diamond as a gift.
Following the complaint, the Valiv police registered an FIR against him under Sections 64(2)(m) (rape) and 318(4) (cheating by personation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
After working on multiple leads, the police successfully tracked and arrested Panchal in Ahmedabad. The investigation is ongoing, officials added.
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