Hyderabad: A man has been arrested by the Cyber Crime Wing of Hyderabad police for allegedly duping a woman of nearly Rs 11 lakh through a fake profile on Shaadi.com.
The accused has been identified as Jogada Vamshi Krishna.
According to reports, the accused created a bogus profile named Harsha Cherukuri using Shaadi.com’s premium Select Shaadi service, falsely projecting himself as a genuine suitor. Through this, he gained direct access to the victim, a practising doctor in Hyderabad.
Claiming financial distress, he persuaded her to transfer large sums of money. The situation turned darker when he allegedly used personal content to threaten and blackmail her.
Based on the complaint, an investigation was launched, which revealed that this was not an isolated case. Authorities discovered over 20 similar fraud cases registered against the accused across multiple states, highlighting a systemic exploitation of digital matchmaking platforms lacking user verification.
The case has brought renewed focus on Shaadi.com’s 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.
However, Hyderabad police allege that Shaadi.com failed to uphold these obligations.
The matrimonial platform is accused of falsely marketing unverified profiles as “verified” under its premium Select Shaadi service, without conducting any actual document-based authentication. This lapse allowed fraudsters like the accused to operate freely, putting unsuspecting users at risk.
Further investigation revealed that the platform’s relationship manager shared the fake profile created by the accused with the victim without conducting any background verification. Despite receiving complaints, Shaadi.com allegedly took no corrective action, allowing the fraudulent interactions to continue unchecked.
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.
Hyderabad police have concluded that by neglecting their legal duties, Shaadi.com has forfeited its “safe harbour” protection under Section 79(1) of the IT Act. In this case, the failure to act makes the platform criminally liable for enabling the crime.
A case has been registered under sections 79, 308(6), 60, 351(2), 319(2), 318(4) read with section 49 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Further investigation is ongoing.
The Hyderabad police have issued a public advisory urging citizens to exercise caution while using online matrimonial platforms. 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.
The police have also advised the public to refrain from sharing sensitive information, such as private images or banking details, with online acquaintances, especially those met through matchmaking services.
Victims of suspicious behaviour or fraud are urged to report the incident immediately by calling the 1930 Cyber Helpline or by approaching the nearest police station.
