A man originally from Lucknow and currently residing in Perth, Western Australia, has been arrested by Pune Cyber Police for allegedly duping a woman of ₹3.6 crore (AUD 654,545) through a fake matrimonial profile.
It is reported that the accused, identified as Abhishek Shukla, allegedly posed as “Dr Rohit Oberoi”, an Australian citizen of Indian origin, to befriend and deceive the victim—a Delhi-based woman now living in Pune’s Kharadi suburb. She had joined a popular matrimonial website in search of a life partner when she fell into Shukla’s elaborate trap.
Police told local media that the two began communicating in 2023 and eventually entered into a close relationship. They even cohabited at various locations in Pune and other Indian cities.
The woman, who had received ₹5 crore (AUD 909,000) as alimony from a previous marriage, had been running Mindfulness and Spirituality programmes at a local school. Learning of her financial background, Shukla promised to help expand her business globally.
It is alleged that he then introduced her to fictitious associates, “Evon” and “Vincent Kuan”, who claimed to be based in Singapore. Through their fabricated narratives, Shukla manipulated the woman into transferring ₹3.6 crore (AUD 654,545) across multiple transactions to both Singaporean and Indian bank accounts.
Later, he allegedly claimed to be suffering from mouth cancer and gradually withdrew contact. In September 2024, the woman received an email from “Vincent Kuan” stating that Dr Oberoi had passed away. Growing suspicious, she consulted a friend who urged her to investigate further, leading to the discovery that she had been defrauded.
Pune Cyber Police launched an investigation and identified the accused as Abhishek Shukla. “Technical investigation revealed that Dr Rohit Oberoi was, in fact, Abhishek Shukla,” confirmed Additional Commissioner of Police, Pankaj Deshmukh.
A Lookout Circular (LOC) was issued against Shukla. On 25 June 2025, he was intercepted at Mumbai Airport upon arrival from Singapore and taken into custody. He remains in police custody as investigations continue.
Indian authorities have also revealed that Shukla had allegedly contacted more than 3,000 women through fake matrimonial profiles, raising concerns that several other victims may have been similarly targeted under the guise of marriage.
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