The Peelamedu Police arrested 29-year-old J Bagyia Arun, a resident of Puliyakulam, for allegedly cheating a woman IT professional out of Rs 3.6 lakhs and 69.5 grams of gold ornaments by promising marriage.
Police said the accused used the same modus operandi to target at least three other women, who were reportedly too afraid to lodge complaints.
A 24-year-old woman from Karamadai filed a complaint after developing a relationship with Arun through Instagram last year. Claiming to be a wealthy businessman, Arun convinced her that they were in love, promised marriage, and even claimed his parents had approved their wedding.
The victim trusted him and gave him cash and gold jewelry over several months, including a 13.05-gram gold chain and five gold rings weighing 12 grams, totaling 69.5 grams of gold, along with Rs 3.6 lakhs. Arun also called her his “wife” to gain her trust.
In May 2024, Arun asked the victim to meet near a railway track, citing financial losses in his “puppy business,” and demanded more gold and small cash amounts. Over time, he began avoiding her, and when confronted at Gandhipuram bus stand in March 2025, he allegedly abused her in public and admitted to defrauding multiple women.
Based on her complaint, Peelamedu Police registered a case under Sections 406 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women (TNPHW) Act. Arun was arrested Monday night and remanded to judicial custody early Tuesday morning.
Police are investigating to determine if there are additional victims and are warning women to exercise caution while engaging in online relationships.
