Conman dupes divorcee of Rs 17.5 lakh, nabbed

A 30-year-old divorcee was duped of over Rs 17.5 lakh by a conman whom she met on a matrimonial site, on the pretext of getting her brother admitted to a prominent management institute in Mumbai, police said today.
The woman met Abhishek Sanghavi (34) through shaadi.Com in 2014. He introduced himself as the owner of a production house in the name of Lemon Kraft Private Limited in Mumbai.
The accused, who has been arrested, impressed her and her family by showing off a Harley Davidson bike along with a lavish lifestyle, police said.
As the woman and the accused got closer, she told him that her brother aspires to get admission to the prestigious Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, in Mumbai for his MBA, they added.

Sanghavi told her that he has good contacts in the institute since he knows one of the trustees and could get her brother admission easily. He asked the woman to arrange Rs 23 lakh for his admission. Out of this amount, Rs 17 lakh would go for his fees and the remaining amount would be paid as donation to the institute, police said.
Between November 2014 and May 2015, the woman's family arranged Rs 17.5 lakh and transferred the money to the various bank accounts given by the accused, they added.

After receiving the amount, he even mailed a forged receipt to her brother that guaranteed him admission to the institute.

However, later when his name did not figure in the list of candidates shortlisted by the institute, he grew suspicious and around the same time, Sanghavi stopped responding to them and his number was found to be disconnected.
The woman, however, continued to be optimistic, and thought that Sanghavi will get back in touch with her. Later, things started to unravel as they learnt that Sanghavi was a conman and had cheated others.
However, the family did not give up hope and made efforts to trace him in the last year or so. After failing to establish any contact with him, they filed a police complaint at the Dwarka (North) police station on June 23.

The police started scanning Sanghavi's social media profiles. They also contacted a mobile phone company whose number he was using to contact the girl and found a photograph of him. Later, they contacted the matrimonial website and found that he had created a new profile.
Posing as a girl, an officer got in touch with the accused. A meeting was arranged between the 'girl' and Sanghavi and he was arrested from Thane, Maharashtra on June 25.