A man who introduced himself as a prospective groom on a matrimonial website has been booked for duping several women under the pretext of marriage. Parksite Police have registered a case of cheating against Nikhil Deepak Dalvi after it came to light that he swindled Rs 27.4 lakh from a young woman by making false promises of marriage.
Investigations have revealed that Dalvi lured the 28-year-old complainant, a resident of Pune currently staying in Vikhroli, into a relationship by claiming to be a Google employee based in Ghatkopar with an annual package of Rs 1 crore. The duo got acquainted through a private matrimonial site two years ago and gradually became close through regular chats and calls.
Dalvi initially asked the woman for financial help, citing urgent expenses related to road widening near his village home. He claimed his bank account had been frozen due to an online fraud. To gain her trust, he shared a screenshot showing a balance of over Rs 78 lakh in his account, along with a purported Google employee ID.
Convinced by his claims, the woman first transferred Rs 70,000. Dalvi promised to return the money within 14 days but failed to do so. He later continued to seek money under various pretenses—travel to Germany, construction of his village house, customs issues at Mumbai airport involving two iPhones, and more.
In one instance, he demanded Rs 21 lakh for interior work on his home. When the woman said she didn’t have that amount, he allegedly coaxed her into taking a bank loan with the assurance that he would repay the EMIs. Believing his promises, she went ahead and took the loan.
Between September 5 and December 10, 2024, a total of 21 online transactions were made by the woman, transferring a total of Rs 27.4 lakh into Dalvi’s account. During this period, he even visited her parents in Pune in October 2024 to discuss marriage proposals, further cementing her trust.
However, suspicions arose in January when she received a call from another woman from Kamothe, Navi Mumbai, who revealed a similar experience. She too had met Dalvi through the same matrimonial website and had provided him with financial help after he proposed marriage.
Shocked by the revelation, the complainant confronted Dalvi. While he admitted to taking money from her, he claimed to have repaid all dues and denied ever promising marriage. He insisted he was serious only about marrying her.
Realizing she had been conned, the woman approached Parksite Police and filed a complaint. After preliminary verification, an FIR was registered against Nikhil Dalvi under charges of cheating and criminal breach of trust.
Police investigations suggest that Dalvi may have duped several other women using the same modus operandi. He has already been arrested by Navi Mumbai Police in a similar case and is currently in judicial custody. Mumbai Police are now preparing to take his custody for further interrogation to uncover the full extent of his fraudulent activities.