Karnataka Man Dupes Divorced Pune Woman of Rs 20 Lakh on Pretext of Marriage
Reported by Varad Bhatkhande
Maval, 25th July 2025: A shocking case of emotional manipulation has surfaced in Pune’s Maval Taluka, where a 35-year-old divorced woman was allegedly duped of nearly Rs 20 lakh by a man from Karnataka under the pretext of marriage. The incident came to light after the woman filed a complaint at the Shirgaon Parandwadi Police Station.
The accused has been identified as Rakesh Ravi Kumar Shetty, a resident of Mangaluru, Karnataka. He has been booked under Sections 316 (criminal breach of trust) and 318 (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
According to police reports, the woman, a private-sector employee, had been living with her parents in Maval Taluka following her divorce. Encouraged by her parents to remarry, she registered on Jeevansathi.com, a popular matrimonial website in India. On 17th November 2024, she connected with the accused through the platform. As she is originally from Karnataka, she found it easy to bond with him.
They quickly developed a connection and began communicating regularly. The accused even visited her in Pune multiple times, further gaining her trust. Eventually, he told her that his bank account had been frozen due to exceeding transaction limits and requested her help, claiming he was a businessman with frequent transactions. Trusting him, she shared her credit card and bank details.
Over time, he withdrew a total of Rs 19,81,751 in phases. When she began demanding her money back, he gave vague excuses and eventually cut off all contact. Realizing she had been duped, the woman rushed to the Shirgaon Parandwadi Police Station and lodged a formal complaint. Police suspect the accused may be a serial fraudster.
Police Sub-Inspector Shaikh from Shirgaon Parandwadi Police Station is currently investigating the case, and efforts are underway to trace the accused.
