A man, identified as Jogada Vamshi Krishna, has been apprehended by the Hyderabad City Police’s Cyber Crime Wing for deceitfully obtaining nearly ₹11 lakh from a woman doctor on Shaadi.com while posing as a potential groom. The deceptive act involved creating a fabricated profile named ‘Harsha Cherukuri’ and utilizing the platform’s premium ‘Select Shaadi’ service to perpetrate the con on the victim. Following the establishment of trust through purported marriage promises, the accused manipulated the victim into transferring significant amounts of money by feigning financial distress. Subsequently, threats and blackmail were employed by Krishna using personal information, leading to his arrest on March 15, as per the police press release.
Investigations unveiled a series of similar fraudulent activities perpetrated by Krishna in various states, with over 20 cases lodged against him, underscoring a prevalent trend of online exploitation via unauthenticated profiles. Furthermore, it was divulged that despite the provision of paid ‘verified’ profiles, Shaadi.com purportedly failed to conduct thorough identity verifications, as indicated by the official statement.
The disclosure further implicated the platform’s failure to uphold its responsibilities under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, necessitating user verification, prompt grievance redressal, and robust safety protocols. Consequently, the Hyderabad Police declared that Shaadi.com’s laxity rendered it devoid of ‘safe harbour’ immunity under Section 79 of the IT Act, rendering it criminally accountable under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and other cyber statutes.
Legal action has been initiated against the involved parties under multiple sections of the BNS and the IT Act, including sections 66C and 66D of the latter. In light of these developments, citizens are cautioned against unwarranted reliance on ‘verified’ designations on matrimonial or dating platforms, encouraged to exercise caution in divulging personal information online, and urged to report any suspicious behavior through the cyber helpline 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in.
The incident highlights the significance of stringent verification protocols and adherence to regulatory guidelines by online platforms to preclude fraudulent activities and safeguard user interests. Moving forward, concerted efforts by both law enforcement authorities and digital entities are imperative in ensuring a secure digital environment for all users.