Matrimonial match turns into ₹1.52 crore fraud: Bengaluru techie duped by man claiming ₹715 crore assets

A 29-year-old software engineer from Whitefield was allegedly cheated of over ₹1.52 crore by a man she met on a matrimonial website, who later turned out to be married and running a family-backed investment scam.

A shocking case of matrimonial fraud has come to light in Bengaluru, where a 29-year-old software engineer, Navya Shree, was allegedly cheated of ₹1.52 crore by a man she met through a matrimonial website. The accused allegedly posed as a wealthy businessman and used marriage promises to extract large sums of money from the victim and her family.

According to the complaint, Navya Shree, a resident of Whitefield, met Vijay Raj Gowda in March 2024 through Okkaliga Matrimony. Vijay introduced himself as the owner of VRG Enterprises, claiming to run businesses involving crushers, lorries, land holdings, and residential properties in Rajajinagar and Sadashivanagar. To gain her confidence, he allegedly shared a copy of a bail order linked to a 2019 Enforcement Directorate case and claimed his total assets were worth ₹715 crore.

Vijay allegedly promised marriage and informed Shree that his family had approved the alliance.

The financial transactions began on April 4, when Vijay reportedly borrowed ₹15,000 via PhonePe, citing banking issues. Over time, he allegedly convinced Shree to take personal loans and borrow money from friends in the name of joint business investments.

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He later introduced his family members at Kengeri Metro Station, including his father Krishnappa B Gowda alias Bore Gowda UJ, who claimed to be a retired Tehsildar, along with his mother Netravathi K Gowda and a woman introduced as his sister Sushideepa K Gowda alias Soumya. His father allegedly assured repayments and issued cheques in the name of VRG Enterprises.

As per the FIR, ₹66 lakh and ₹23 lakh were collected from Shree’s friends. When repayment was demanded, Vijay claimed his bank accounts were frozen due to a court case and showed court documents to Shree and later to her parents. Trusting these claims, her parents allegedly gave nearly ₹30 lakh.

Between December 2024 and February 2025, Shree’s father reportedly gave ₹10.5 lakh, while her mother contributed ₹18 lakh, including her retirement savings. Vijay also obtained ₹10 lakh by pledging Shree’s jewellery and ₹5 lakh from her siblings.

The fraud came to light when Shree visited Vijay’s house seeking repayment. She then discovered that Vijay was already married with a child, and the woman introduced as his sister was actually his wife of three years.

Shree further alleged that Vijay and his family jointly cheated her and later issued death threats when she demanded her money back. Investigators stated that Vijay collected ₹1,75,66,890 through multiple bank accounts, returning only ₹22,51,800, leaving ₹1,53,15,090 unpaid.

A case of cheating, criminal conspiracy, and criminal intimidation has been registered against Vijay, his father, and his wife. Further investigation is currently underway.