Hyderabad doctor extorted Rs.10 lakh after matrimonial site proposal turns into blackmail
Hyderabad: A 31-year-old female doctor has filed a police complaint after being blackmailed and extorted by a man she met on a matrimonial website. The incident occurred under the jurisdiction of the Jubilee Hills Police Station.
Going into the details, the woman, a doctor at a private hospital in Gachibowli, had placed an advertisement on the matrimonial site Shadi.com. The site’s administrators shared the contact details of a man named Harsha Cherukuri, and they began communicating via WhatsApp on January 30. Harsha introduced himself as a person whose family owned large businesses. He told her that his mother, Dr. Lakshmi Haritha, worked as a doctor at a hospital in Chicago. Harsha claimed that their bank accounts had been seized following a raid by the Income Tax Department.
Harsha further assured her that his mother would soon visit India to finalize their marriage. Trusting his story, the woman began communicating with him more frequently. During their conversations, she sent him a few of her personal photos.
On February 21, Harsha contacted her again, stating that his bank accounts had been frozen and his PAN card had been confiscated by the IT authorities. He requested financial help, claiming that he needed money to resolve these issues. Believing his story, the woman transferred a total of ₹10.94 lakh to the bank accounts he provided. He assured her that the marriage proposal would proceed once his mother arrived from the U.S. on February 21.
However, when the woman questioned him about the delay after February 21, Harsha stopped responding, which made her suspicious. She then demanded that he return the money she had sent him. In response, Harsha became abusive and began threatening her. He claimed he would ruin her life by posting manipulated nude images of her online. Harsha demanded an additional ₹10 lakh, stating that if she paid him, he would delete the fake images, otherwise, he would continue to harm her reputation.
A 31-year-old doctor in Hyderabad was extorted ₹10 lakh by a man she met on a matrimonial site, https://t.co/dzpDH9qkCP. The man, posing as a marriage prospect, convinced her to send money after claiming his accounts were seized. He later blackmailed her with manipulated photos,… pic.twitter.com/NrJg6jIASf
— Hyderabad Mail (@Hyderabad_Mail) February 27, 2025
Distressed by the threats, the woman informed her family and approached the Shadi.com administrators, who revealed that Harsha had provided false details.
On Wednesday, the woman filed a complaint with the Jubilee Hills Police, leading to the registration of a case under various sections of the BNS 79, 351(2), 319(2), 318(4), as well as under the IT Act. The police have initiated an investigation into the case.
