City doctor duped of Rs 10L in matrimonial fraud

Hyderabad: A city-based doctor became the victim of a matrimonial fraud, losing over Rs 10 lakh to a man she met through a matrimonial platform. The fraudster, identified as Harsha Cherukuri, allegedly extorted money from her by fabricating a story that his bank accounts had been frozen by authorities.The 31-year-old doctor, who works at a reputed hospital in Gachibowli, had registered on the matrimonial platform in Jan, where she came in contact with Harsha. He claimed his family owned businesses both in India and abroad, presenting himself as a wealthy and successful individual. After a few days of communication, they decided to take their relationship further.Soon after, Harsha fabricated a story about an income tax raid on his offices, which he claimed led to the freezing of his bank accounts. Desperate for financial help, he asked the doctor to transfer funds to his personal bank accounts. Trusting him, the doctor complied, transferring a total of Rs 10 lakh over multiple instalments.Harsha further manipulated the doctor by telling her that his mother, a doctor in the US, would be arriving in Hyderabad on Feb 21 to meet her and finalise wedding plans. However, when his mother failed to show up, the doctor confronted Harsha and demanded her money back. In response, Harsha began threatening her, claiming he would circulate morphed images of her unless she paid him an additional Rs 10 lakh.The doctor then informed her family about her situation and filed a complaint with Film Nagar police. Following the complaint, police registered a case and initiated an investigation into the matter. Authorities are now working to track down the fraudster and bring him to justice.