The habitual offender, who had targeted six women earlier, was arrested by Kalachowkie police after his seventh victim filed a complaint with the cyber cell
When offline, he was Pravin Mali, 35 years old, a resident of Pune, living with his parents, wife, and five-year-old daughter. But in the cyber world he was Pravin Patil, a widower residing with his mother, searching for a mate. The habitual offender who faked his profile on a matrimonial website for sexual pleasure has been arrested by Kalachowkie police.
Spot the fake: Pravin Mali alias Pravin Patil was arrested by Kalachowkie police for cheating women with a fake profile on a matrimonial site
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With his assumed identity, Pravin invited marriage proposals from widows and divorcees. One of his victims saw through his game and forwarded a complaint to the cyber cell, following which a case was registered at Kalachowkie police station.
Sub-inspector Prakash Linge from Kalachowki police station said, “After he sent a proposal to the victim on May 6, the two began communicating via email and even added each other on Facebook. Phone numbers were shared and chats became a regular affair.”
According to police officials, the accused and the victim had planned to meet on May 16 in Pune as the latter was about to visit her native place. But Pravin failed to turn up, claiming he was swamped with work.
Speaking to MiD DAY the 33-year-old victim said, “Pravin claimed that his father and wife had died and he resided with his mother. However, during the course of our conversations he mentioned his daughter. I asked him for his mother’s number, but he provided me with an incorrect one. When I began asking more and more questions about his personal life, he started ignoring me.”
According to the victim, Pravin met her whole family, but never offered to let the victim meet his. “He asked me for sexual favours on many occasions, but we never met because of my inquisitive nature,” the victim said.
Cops said the victim realised that the account on the matrimonial site was phoney, after Pravin stopped taking her calls. Later, she found out through someone that he is married and is living with his five-year-old daughter, father and his mother. Incidentally, the victim too has a seven-year-old daughter.
A team consisting of sub-inspector Prakash Linge, constables Vithal Gadve, Pradeep Patil and Seema Chowdary arrested the accused from Swargate bus depot while he was coming back to his residence from Kolhapur.
Linge said, “During the course of interrogations we also learnt that the accused has already cheated six women using the same modus operandi. But those we contacted refused to lodge a complaint.”
Senior inspector Bausaheb Gite from Kalachowkie police station said, “We arrested the accused on June 13 and he was booked under sections 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 419 of the Indian Penal code along with 66 (A) and 67 of I.T. act. However Mali secured bail later. ” u00a0
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