Matrimony site predator nabbed for Rs 1 cr con job

The city police finally traced and arrested a 34-year-old conman, who has been on the lam after cheating several divorcees he met through a popular matrimonial site and promising them marriage.

The identified serial marriage-proposal-artist who goes by many names, including Amir Khan alias Arif Khan alias Rashm Singh alias Rohan Pasha was nabbed in Shirdi by a police team. Khan's real name is believed to be Rafiq Khan, and he is wanted in a cheating case involving 42-year-old Sabitha (name changed).

One face, many names: Amir Khan alias Rafiq Khan made driving licence, UID card, debit cards and other documents under different names, but used the same photograph everywhere

The woman was allegedly unhappy with he current marriage and was tentatively looking for a suitor for a second marriage, and signed up on the matrimonial site.

According to Sabitha's complaint lodged at the Wanwadi police station, Khan got in touch with her on a matrimonial site posing as a wealthy computer engineer with a major IT company in Canada.

One face, many names: The accused Rafiq Khan.

He used to talk over the phone and finally proposed marriage. Khan allegedly asked Sabitha to leave he current husband and buy a flat in the city where they could live after solemnising their marriage.

She fell for the ruse and withdrew her gold jewellery worth Rs 1 crore from her safe deposit locker in September. Khan had the bag in his possession and offered to hail an auto rickshaw, but vanished with the jewellery.

Sabitha waited for a while, but then realised her folly and filed a complaint against Khan. Police personnel Pramod Gaikwad, Aniket Babar and Rajesh Shaikh were continuously tracking Khan through his mobile phone location and reached Shirdi. Following his arrest, the police learnt that he had created multiple profiles on the matrimonial site and also has the profiles of over 50 women saved on his laptop.

"He mainly targeted divorcees, built up their trust with his charms and glib talk and dumped them after relieving them of their valuables and savings," said Assistant Police Inspector Prasad Sanas of the Wanwadi police station.

Sanas added that when Khan was arrested in Shirdi four days ago, he was with a divorcee from Delhi. "We saved the woman as she was to hand over her valuables and cash to him," Sanas said.

Investigations revealed that Arif Khan, Rohan Pasha, Rashm Singh and Khan had duped several other married/divorced women to the tune of crores of rupees. Sanas added that in June this year, there were three complaints registered against Khan in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

The police have recovered driving license, UID card, debit cards and other documents under different names, but with the same photograph. "We have also recovered gold from the accused and are investigating how many other women he has cheated in a similar manner," Sanas said. u00a0