Matrimonial scam: Mother-son duo arrested for duping women

Bengaluru: Adugodi police have arrested a mother-son duo accused of allegedly creating fake profiles on matrimonial websites and cheating more than 10 women of lakhs of rupees.

The accused have been identified as Pradeep Joseph, also known as Pradeep Solomon, a Mysuru-based man who allegedly posed as a doctor, and his mother Kalavathi. The duo was arrested from a house in Wayanad, Kerala, where they had been hiding for the past three months.

Police said the accused allegedly created profiles on matrimonial platforms such as Shaadi.com, claiming that Pradeep was a doctorate holder, a doctor and had appeared for examinations to become a judge. He allegedly used these claims to gain the confidence of women and their families.

The accused reportedly rented a bungalow in Mysuru and allegedly projected himself as a wealthy person, claiming ownership of three acres of land and a commercial complex.

According to the complaint, Pradeep and his mother became acquainted with a Bengaluru woman through a matrimonial website and subsequently got engaged to her. They allegedly demanded gold jewellery, a luxury car and a house in Bengaluru as conditions for the marriage.

The accused reportedly collected ₹20 lakh from the woman’s family as an advance and later allegedly threatened to call off the marriage if their demands were not fulfilled.

Following a complaint by the woman’s family in May, Adugodi police registered an FIR and launched an investigation. The accused subsequently went into hiding after an anticipatory bail petition filed before the High Court was rejected.

Police traced the duo to Wayanad after a sustained investigation and arrested them. Investigators are now examining their matrimonial profiles, financial transactions and communications to identify other women who may have been allegedly cheated by the accused.

Police suspect that more victims could come forward as the investigation progresses.