The Mumbai police have arrested a 31-year-old married man from Dadar for allegedly posing as a police sub-inspector (PSI) on a matrimonial website, sexually assaulting a woman, and duping several others. Investigators suspect the accused, Vaibhav Narkar, also used AI-generated photographs to bolster his fake identity. Police said these images have been recovered and are being examined.
Narkar was arrested by a Nehru Nagar police team from Solapur on Saturday and has been remanded in police custody till October 22, officials confirmed. According to investigators, Narkar had created fake matrimonial profiles using his photograph in a police uniform to lure women. He had also conned at least 100 unemployed youth by claiming he could secure them government or police jobs through his connections in Mantralaya.
One of his victims, a 33-year-old woman from Chembur, was allegedly trapped in a fake relationship that led to a “court marriage”, and subsequent her rape and financial exploitation. Police said Narkar, a resident of Naigaon in Dadar East, convinced the woman that he was a serving PSI. “He promised to marry her and later forced her into physical relations. He also took a scooter as a gift, demanded gold ornaments worth Rs 2.5 lakh, and extracted Rs 30,000 in cash,” said an officer from Nehru Nagar police station.
The victim later discovered that Narkar had similarly cheated another woman from Solapur using the same method. Following her complaint, the Nehru Nagar police registered a case under Sections 64, 318(2), 318(4), 204, and 319 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for rape, cheating, and impersonation.
Duped Solapur woman too
Originally from Govil village in Ratnagiri, Narkar was previously arrested by Ratnagiri police in another fraud case. After securing bail, he allegedly resumed his scams — targeting a woman from Solapur through a matrimonial site.
“He befriended the Solapur woman on Jeevansathi.com, claimed he lived with his grandmother in Pune, and promised to visit her with his family for a marriage discussion on her birthday. But days before the visit, he said his cousin had met with an accident and demanded Rs 63,000 for treatment. The woman transferred the amount, only to later discover he was already married and had a six-year-old son,” said Senior Police Inspector Shirish Gaja of Solapur cyber police.
PSI Nagesh Ingle, the investigating officer from Solapur cyber police station, said, “The accused is suspected to have used a few AI-generated photographs, including some showing him in police uniform. We have recovered some of those images during the investigation.”
Conned unemployed youth
The probe further revealed that Narkar had allegedly conned at least 100 unemployed youth by claiming he could secure them government or police jobs. “He posed as a senior officer’s assistant and claimed to have strong connections in Mantralaya. He even told some to get police uniforms stitched. Many victims, fearing stigma and humiliation, have not filed official complaints,” Gaja added.
Investigators said Narkar maintained contact with multiple women across Mumbai, Kolhapur, and Solapur, often claiming to be the son of a retired ACP — another false claim. Police described him as a “habitual fraudster who thrives on lies, AI trickery, and emotional manipulation”. A probe is underway to identify others he may have duped.
