Berhampur, Aug 3: In a shocking case of matrimonial fraud, a 31-year-old widow from Odisha's Ganjam district was allegedly duped of nearly ₹60 lakh by a man who promised to marry her through a matrimonial website. While the main accused remains absconding, Ganjam Cyber and Economic Offences Police have arrested one of his associates and uncovered evidence suggesting the gang may have cheated more than 30 women of crores of rupees.

The arrested accused has been identified as Uttam Kumar Sahu alias Micky (32), a resident of Pasar village under Chakapad police limits in Kandhamal district. He was apprehended during a raid led by Inspector Jyoti Ranjan Behera and his team. Police seized a mobile phone, ₹10,000 in cash, ATM cards, identity documents and several other incriminating materials from his possession.

According to police, the victim, a resident of Bhanjanagar, had registered on a matrimonial website after the death of her husband, hoping to remarry. She came into contact with a man who introduced himself as Saikrupa Das, claiming to be a resident of Bhubaneswar. After gaining her trust through regular phone conversations, he allegedly told her that his father was seriously ill and urgently needed money for treatment.

To convince the woman, the accused reportedly sent photographs, videos and medical documents through WhatsApp. Believing his story, the woman even allowed him access to operate her bank account. She mortgaged her gold ornaments and borrowed money from relatives and acquaintances before transferring funds to him.

Police said the victim transferred nearly ₹60 lakh to the accused between August 2024 and recent months. During the investigation, it was revealed that the man had used a fake identity and is believed to be Rakesh Rajput, though police are yet to verify whether that is his real name.

Investigators suspect the mastermind and his associates targeted women through matrimonial platforms, emotionally manipulated them and extorted huge sums of money. Preliminary findings indicate that the accused may have cheated over 30 women, siphoning off crores of rupees using similar tactics.

Police have launched a massive search operation to trace the absconding mastermind, while further investigation is underway to identify other members of the fraud network and recover the defrauded money.