A representative image of dating apps.
Credit: iStock Photo
Bengaluru: A 26-year-old software professional was allegedly duped of gold ornaments and cash worth Rs 6.89 lakh by a woman he befriended on a dating app.
The victim, Cheluva (name changed), a resident of Nagasandra, told police he had met a woman named Kavipriya through the dating app 'Happn' two months ago. After chatting for a few weeks, they decided to meet in person.
On November 1, Kavipriya invited him to a restaurant in Indiranagar. After spending some time together and consuming alcohol, she said it was too late to return to her paying guest accommodation and asked him to book a room at a hotel for the night.
They checked into a hotel around 12.30 am. After ordering food online, the woman allegedly gave him water laced with a sedative. He soon lost consciousness.
When he regained consciousness hours later, he found that his gold jewellery and cash were missing, and the woman had vanished. Attempts to contact her failed as her phone was switched off and her Happn profile deleted.
The stolen valuables included a 28-gram gold chain worth Rs 3.22 lakh, a 30-gram gold bracelet worth Rs 3.45 lakh, a gold-plated wristwatch worth Rs 12,000, and Rs 10,000 in cash.
Cheluva, initially reluctant to approach the police, filed a complaint on November 8 after consulting a legal expert.
Based on his complaint, Indiranagar police have registered a case of theft and cheating. Efforts are under way to trace the suspect using phone call records, food delivery app data, and CCTV footage from the hotel, where she had provided her identity details during check-in.
A senior police officer said the suspect had been identified and would be arrested soon.