Serial fraudster arrested in Thane for cheating women through matrimonial websites

The Property Cell of the Thane Police Crime Branch, on Friday, arrested an alleged serial fraudster accused of cheating a string of women in various cities of Maharashtra to the tune of lakhs of rupees through matrimonial websites and apps.

According to Crime Branch officers, investigations into the matter were initiated after a Kalyan-based woman registered a complaint with the Khadakpada police station on January 4. The complainant told the police that she had been approached by the accused who claimed to be a senior office bearer with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), on a matrimonial website.

The accused allegedly took ₹14.36 lakh from her under various pretexts, promising to return it at the earliest. However, when he asked for a further ₹25 lakh, the complainant smelled a rat and registered an FIR.

The Property Cell, while conducting parallel inquiries into the case, found that the accused went by many names including Aditya Mhatre, Navhush Mhatre and Tanmay Mhatre.

“The accused was constantly changing his location and we used technical investigation methods to obtain leads about his whereabouts. We finally got a breakthrough when we learnt that the accused was going to be in Navi Mumbai to meet another girl that he had befriended through a matrimonial website,” Additional Commissioner of Police, Ashok Morale, Thane Crime Branch, said.

A team of personnel with the Property Cell subsequently laid a trap and intercepted the accused, whose real name has been found to be Aditya Mhatre (29), on Thursday.

“According to inquiries so far, the accused is married and has a son. He would regularly pose as a senior official with organisations like the ISRO or the USA-based National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and cheat women of their money. Till date, he has targetted at least 15 women in Maharashtra as well as in other states,” Morale said.