Himalaya Harbinger, Rudrapur Bureau.
The Udham Singh Nagar police arrested Charu Chandra Joshi, 32, a resident of Friends Colony in Do Nahariya of Haldwani in district Nainital, for allegedly duping multiple women of lakhs of rupees. Joshi, a habitual offender, targeted women through matrimonial sites and dating apps, promising marriage and government jobs to defraud them.
The case came to light on November 12 during a public hearing conducted by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Manikant Mishra in Kashipur. A woman lodged a complaint stating that Joshi contacted her through a matrimonial site, built trust, and swindled Rs 8.57 lakh from her and her friend by promising them permanent government jobs.
“Joshi is a serial fraudster who exploits women emotionally and financially through online platforms. We found substantial evidence linking him to several cases of cheating,” SSP Mishra said.
Investigations revealed that Joshi had established contact with at least eight other women on dating apps and was attempting to extract money from them. His WhatsApp conversations disclosed fraudulent activities involving nearly Rs 20 lakh. Joshi has seven previous fraud cases registered against him in Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar, and Dehradun districts.
Acting on leads, the police traced Joshi to his residence in Haldwani and arrested him on the night of November 14. He has been booked under relevant sections of the BNS including section 318 (4), and further investigations are ongoing to identify additional victims.
