Mumbai, August 1: Nearly 40 women were scammed by a "lootera dulha" in Maharastra. "lootera dulha" is nothing but a 43-year-old man who married 30 to 40 women by flattery and defrauded them. "lootera dulha," AKA Feroze Ahmad Niyaz Shaikh allegedly created two profiles, Vinay Rajput and Feroze Shaikh, on a matrimonial website, purportedly targeting affluent Hindu and Muslim divorcees posing as pilot or banker. As per the report published by Midday on August 1, Feroze was arrested by the Nalasopara Police. 

Feroze allegedly created fake profiles on matrimonial websites, posing as a pilot and a senior banker at the Reserve Bank of India, to lure wealthy women. These women were ultimately heartbroken and defrauded. He often claimed to be from a rich family and invited his victims to functions. Once they arrived wearing expensive jewellery, he would make excuses for them to remove it and then steal it, reports added. Matrimonial Scam in Maharashtra: Man Dupes Over 20 Women Under Pretext of Marriage in Nalasopara, Arrested.

At times, Feroze would transport women to a salon in his hired vehicle, request them to secure their belongings, and then vanish from sight. "Feroze accumulated significant wealth through his schemes, purchasing a high-end car and MacBook to impress women, including foreign nationals," said investigating officer PSI Harshal Raut. Matrimonial Fraud: Man Cheats Thane Woman of Rs 59 Lakh After Promising Marriage.

Most of the victims were in their late 30s or 40s; he defrauded around 40 women until the day when a 38-year-old Nalasopara woman filed a complaint against Feroze on July 23. Police found he had defrauded many women across India and used his victims' phones to evade detection. A fake profile led to his arrest in Kalyan. Authorities recovered credit and debit cards, mobile phones, jewellery, a car, and a MacBook. Arnala police charged him and will transfer him to Jabalpur for further investigation. 

Feroze faces six FIRs: two in Pune (Hadaspar and Bhosari) and one each in Kharghar, Vile Parle, Ghatkopar, and Khalapur. First arrested in 2016, he served six years in prison. After his release, he resumed defrauding divorced women.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 01, 2024 11:45 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).