Woman molested, duped of Rs50k by man met on online dating app in Pune

Pune: A 28-year-old woman was allegedly molested by a person whom she had met on an online dating app. The victim, who works as a bank manager, lodged an first information report (FIR) with Wakad police station. The app handle of the accused, identified as Mukesh Suryavanshi, was ‘Madi Surya’.

According to the complaint, Suryavanshi extorted ₹50,000 from the victim under the pretext of going on a trip to Maldives. Suryavanshi, who is a resident of Kalpataru Society in Kalyaninagar, has been booked for offences under Sections 354 (any man who assaults or uses criminal force to any woman or abets such act with the intention of disrobing or compelling her to be naked) ,406 (criminal breach of trust), and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The woman in her statement to the police said that Suryavanshi visited her house and offered to take her to Maldives. He informed her that the trip would cost approximately ₹95,000 and promised to spend ₹one lakh on the trip. He also asked her to pay ₹50,000 out of the ₹95,000 for the trip. She gave him the amount as well as a photocopy of her passport. The accused also demanded physical relationship with her and acted inappropriately. Later, the complainant realised that she had been duped and the Maldives trip date had lapsed.

The case was registered on May 8 after she lodged a complaint. Police inspector Satywan Bajirao Mane said that the accused is lodged in jail in Mahim, for a similar case lodged by the Mumbai police, and the police will seek his custody and bring him to Wakad police for rearrest in the case.

“The crime took place in 2021 and the girl lodged the complaint late. We have lodged a case against the accused,” he told HT.