Bengaluru: Man cheats Facebook friend of Rs 15.46 lakh, uses funds to marry another woman

In a shocking case of betrayal and financial fraud, a businessman allegedly cheated a woman of over Rs 15.46 lakh on the promise of marriage and later married another woman using the same money.

According to the FIR, the accused, Ashish Dharavandar, 34, befriended the complainant on Facebook in 2020 while both of them were working in Malaysia.

Over time, he gained her trust and promised to marry her. He then allegedly convinced her to transfer money on multiple occasions, citing urgent personal and business needs.

Police said the woman transferred the amount over a period of time through credit cards and UPI transactions. Investigations revealed that after receiving the money, the accused began avoiding her, ignoring repeated calls and messages.

The victim was later shocked to discover that he had married another woman, allegedly using the money taken from her to fund the wedding and meet personal expenses.

Realising she had been duped, the 33-year-old woman approached the HAL police station and lodged a complaint. Based on the complaint, efforts are underway to trace the accused, police said.