Navi Mumbai, June 8: The Navi Mumbai police has arrested a 37-year-old man who is accused of raping nearly a dozen women. The accused, identified as Mahesh alias Karan Gupta, is a mechanical engineer and had worked for reputed companies in the past. He used matrimonial sites to find his preys and was arrested from Malad area in Mumbai. Cops had been looking for the accused for the last four months. Navi Mumbai Shocker: To Avoid Marriage, Man Kills Ailing Girlfriend by Giving Her Ketamine Injection on Pretext of Treating Her; Arrested.

Gupta created many fake profiles on matrimonial sites and would lure highly educated women, a report by India Today said. After contacting women through matrimonial sites, he would get their phone numbers and convince them for a meeting at a pub or restaurant. He used to sexually assault women during these meetings. Navi Mumbai: 40-Year-Old COVID-19 Positive Woman Raped Inside Quarantine Centre.

"The accused used a different mobile number for every crime. He changed his SIM every time. Even to book cab rides using Ola or Uber, he would use different SIM cards and not the phone number registered in his name. He worked as a hacker some time ago and has good knowledge of computers. But he was using it in the wrong place," Deputy Commissioner of Police Suresh Mengade was quoted as saying.

Police suspect Gupta could be linked to other cases of sexual assault. "So far, we have information that he committed this crime against 12 women but there seem to be many more," DCP Mengade said. After his arrest, police produced Gupta before a local court where a judge sent him to four-day police custody. Further investigation was underway.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 08, 2021 11:39 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).