Hyderabad Doctor Duped of Rs 11 Lakh in Matrimonial Scam

Hyderabad: A man has been arrested by the Hyderabad Cyber Crime Wing for allegedly defrauding a city-based woman doctor of nearly Rs 11 lakh through a fake profile on Shaadi.com and threatening her with blackmail.

According to the news reports, the accused man created a fraudulent profile under the name Harsha Cherukuri, projecting himself as a successful and sincere match. Through Shaadi.com’s Select Shaadi service, which markets itself as a more secure and personalised matchmaking option, he was able to directly connect with the victim, a practising doctor in Hyderabad.

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Shaadi.com Under Legal Scrutiny

The case has cast a harsh spotlight on Shaadi.com’s operational practices and legal responsibilities as an intermediary under Indian cyber laws.

As per the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, framed under Section 79 of the IT Act, 2000, platforms like Shaadi.com are expected to follow due diligence in verifying user information and preventing unlawful activity on their networks, Siasat Daily reports.

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The investigation revealed that the profile used by the accused to contact the victim was shared by a Shaadi.com relationship manager without any document-based verification. Shockingly, even after receiving complaints regarding the account, the platform allegedly failed to take any corrective action.

According to Siasat Daily, Senior officials of the company have now been named in the police investigation. These include Director Anupam Mittal, Team Lead Vignesh, and Manager Satish, who are being held responsible for failing to prevent the circulation of unverified data, ignoring red flags, and facilitating direct contact between the accused and the victim.

Due to these lapses, Hyderabad Police assert that Shaadi.com has forfeited its “safe harbour” protection under Section 79(1) of the IT Act, 2000. A case has been registered under multiple sections of BNS.

The company now faces charges under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), sections 79, 308(6), 60, 351(2), 319(2), 318(4), read with section 49.

Public Advisory Issued

In response to the case, the Hyderabad Police have issued a public advisory urging citizens to remain vigilant while using matrimonial websites. According to Siasat Daily, Authorities have specifically warned users not to place blind trust in the “verified” tags displayed on such websites, as these can often be misleading without proper document-based authentication. Users are encouraged to independently verify the identity and background of individuals before making any personal or financial commitments.

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Users are strongly advised not to share private images, sensitive information, or financial details with individuals met online, especially through matchmaking services. Authorities encourage anyone who suspects fraudulent activity to contact the 1930 Cyber Helpline or visit the nearest police station.