Ahmedabad: The Ahmedabad Crime Branch has arrested Karim Rafik Sipai (44), a resident of Sarghatani Ghati in Kadi, Mehsana, for allegedly posing as “Aditya Patel”, a Hindu widower, on a matrimonial site and duping a woman under the pretext of marriage.

According to police, Karim created a fake profile and allegedly targeted vulnerable women, particularly widows seeking companionship. To gain the complainant’s trust, he projected himself as a lonely widower with no children who was looking to rebuild his life.

Police said he backed up his story with forged documents, including an Aadhaar card, PAN card, driving licence, passport and even a fake death certificate purportedly belonging to his deceased wife.

After gaining the woman’s trust and advancing marriage discussions, Karim allegedly obtained cash and valuable items, including a two-wheeler, on various pretexts over a period of five to six months. The victim was allegedly tricked into paying the accused Rs 70,000.

The fraud came to light when a caller identification application displayed a suspicious name during a routine phone call. Further verification revealed that the Gandhinagar address provided by the accused did not exist. A detailed probe later, with the help of the VHP, found that the man presenting himself as Aditya Patel was actually Karim Sipai operating under a fabricated identity.

Following the registration of an FIR at Mahila West Police Station, the Ahmedabad Crime Branch tracked down and arrested the accused. Investigators are now examining whether he used a similar modus operandi to target and cheat other women. DeshGujarat