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Bengaluru: Kengeri police have arrested a man for allegedly cheating a 29-year-old woman software professional of ₹1.75 crore by promising to marry her and misrepresenting his family background through a matrimonial website.

The arrested accused has been identified as Vijayraj Gowda alias Vijeth (32), a resident of Kunigal in Tumakuru district. Police said he has been taken into custody for further questioning. The role of his wife, Soumya, and his father, Boregowda, is also being investigated.

According to police, the complainant, a Whitefield resident, came in contact with the accused in March 2024 through a matrimonial platform. The two became close, and the accused later invited her to Kengeri, where he introduced his family members. He allegedly claimed that his wife was his sister and that his father was a retired tahsildar.

Police said the accused told the woman that he owned assets worth Rs 715 crore in Bengaluru and proposed that they start a business together. On this pretext, he allegedly collected money in phases from the complainant, as well as from her friends and relatives, amounting to Rs 1.75 crore.

When the woman later demanded the return of the money, the accused reportedly avoided repayment and allegedly issued threats. Upon making further inquiries, the complainant found that the accused was already married and had a child. She then approached the police and filed a complaint, officials said.

A case has been registered at the Kengeri police station.

Police also said the accused had a criminal record. In 2024, he was arrested by Vidhana Soudha police in a separate cheating case, where he allegedly took money by promising government jobs and loans. Despite holding an engineering degree, the accused was not employed and was living with his family in Kunigal, police added.