Indore: Madhya Pradesh police have arrested a 29-year-old man who allegedly defrauded an Indore-based woman of ₹26.86 lakh after impersonating a high-ranking Merchant Navy officer on a popular matrimonial portal. The accused was intercepted by security forces over the weekend just before he could flee the country. Investigators revealed that the suspect systematically targeted the victim under the guise of marriage before spinning an elaborate web of financial lies.
Deputy Commissioner of Police for the Crime Prevention Branch, Rajesh Kumar Tripathi, stated that the accused, identified as Jitendra Kumar Chonkar, alias Jitu, was apprehended at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi on June 27. Chonkar, a resident of the Jewar area in Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddha Nagar district, was stopped during routine immigration checks while attempting to board a flight to Russia. Alert immigration officials detained him after detecting an active police complaint filed against him, subsequently handing him over to a waiting team of the Indore police.
According to the police investigation, Chonkar created a sophisticated profile on a matrimonial website to attract high-earning prospective brides. After establishing contact with the Indore woman, he falsely claimed to be an officer in the Merchant Navy to build quick trust and prestige. Over several months, he lured the victim with promises of a shared future and extracted massive sums of money under various pretexts. In one instance, the accused went so far as to falsely claim he was suffering from advanced blood cancer, emotionally manipulating the victim into transferring large sums for his fictitious medical treatments.
During subsequent interrogation, cyber cells and local investigators discovered that Chonkar had no connection to the maritime industry. Instead, he had previously worked as a ground supervisor for construction labourers in Moscow, which explained his familiarity with international travel and his attempt to flee back to Russia. Indore police have formally registered a criminal case under relevant sections of the law, and a deeper probe is currently underway to determine if the fraudster has targeted other women using a similar modus operandi.
