`A groom that never was’: Hyderabad lady doctor falls victim to matrimonial scam

Hyderabad: Police have registered a case after a lady doctor was blackmailed and extorted money by a man whom she met on a matrimonial site.

The woman from Gachibowli filed a complaint with the Jubilee Hills police, accusing Harsha Cherukuri of tricking her into sending him money under the false pretext of marriage.

According to the Jubilee Hills police, the woman and Cherukuri first connected on January 30 via WhatsApp with the help of an official representative from shaadi.com’s select services.

The two discussed the possibility of marriage, and after a few days, Cherukuri claimed that his bank accounts had been seized by the Income Tax Department due to issues with his PAN card. He requested monetary assistance, promising to repay her once the issue was resolved. Trusting him due to their ongoing discussions about marriage, the woman agreed to offer help.

However, Cherukuri insisted that the funds be transferred to his acquaintances, explaining that he could not access his bank accounts.

The woman transferred a total of Rs. 10,94,827 between February 2 and February 16 using various payment methods, including transactions through her friends' accounts. Cherukuri continued to reassure her, even telling her that his mother, Dr. Lakshmi Haritha, an alleged doctor at Northwestern Hospital in Chicago, would visit India to meet with her family regarding the marriage proposal.

Despite all these assurances, the situation took a new turn on February 21, when Dr. Haritha failed to appear as promised. When the woman asked Cherukuri to repay the money, he became abusive and threatened her and her family with severe consequences. He also threatened to morph her photographs and publish them on social media platforms if she disclosed the incident, demanding an additional Rs. 10 lakh to prevent the release of the altered images.

In her distress, the woman confided in her family, who provided her with emotional support. Upon further investigation, she discovered that Cherukuri had provided false information on the matrimonial platform, revealing his intentions to deceive and extort money. The platform confirmed the false details, indicating that Cherukuri had malicious intentions from the start.

Jubilee Hills police registered a case against Cherukuri under section 79, 351(2), 319(2), 318(4) BNS, and section 66(C & D) of the IT Act. The case is currently under investigation.