• Women lured with lavish lifestyle; mother-son duo absconding
• Bengaluru industrialist’s daughter among targets; wedding called off

Mysore/Mysuru: A mother and son from Sathagalli, accused of orchestrating a high-profile matrimonial fraud, are on the run after allegedly cheating several gullible women, including widows and daughters of wealthy families in Bengaluru and Mysuru, out of lakhs of rupees.

The prime accused, Pradeep Solomon, allegedly projected himself as a successful lawyer and created a fake profile on matrimonial websites under the name Dr. J. Pradeep Solomon, claiming to possess advanced degrees such as a doctorate and promising a future as a judge.

His mother, Kalavathi, is alleged to have colluded in the fraud, with the duo luring victims through promises of marriage, wealth and financial security.

The Adugodi Police in Bengaluru have launched a massive search operation over the past two days to trace the absconding duo and a special team has been formed to track them down.

Bungalow on rent

Pradeep had rented a lavish bungalow in DTS Rao Layout, Sathagalli ‘B’ Block and also opened a lawyer and notary office in the basement of a building near the Sathagalli KSRTC Depot on Ring Road.

His luxurious lifestyle and convincing manner reportedly made many believe he was genuinely wealthy and well-established.

Among the victims was a Muslim woman from Sathagalli, who handed over nearly Rs. 7 lakh after trusting him. When Pradeep reportedly failed to return the money, he allegedly began threatening her.

Distressed by the situation, the woman confided in her brother, Imran, who confronted Pradeep but was met with further threats.

Many victims contacted

Determined to expose the fraud, Imran began contacting other victims and gathering testimonies from women who had lost lakhs of rupees in similar scams.

During his inquiry, Imran discovered that Pradeep was engaged to the daughter of a prominent industrialist from Bengaluru. Alarmed by the development, he contacted the businessman and informed him about Pradeep’s fraudulent activities.

Initially sceptical, the industrialist personally visited Mysuru, met several victims and reportedly confirmed the allegations.

Wedding called off

Realising that his daughter too was being targeted for her wealth, he immediately called off the wedding and lodged a complaint against Pradeep and Kalavathi at the Adugodi Police Station in Bengaluru. By then, however, the duo had absconded.

Police from Adugodi later visited the Mysuru bungalow, where several victims and their family members had gathered to voice their grievances. The Police reportedly assured them of justice and pasted a notice on the property, summoning Pradeep and Kalavathi for inquiry.

Meanwhile, more victims from Mysuru and Bengaluru are continuing to come forward, alleging that they were deceived through promises of marriage and financial stability before being blackmailed and cheated.

A VIP profile

Speaking about the incident, the Bengaluru industrialist said: “We had created a VIP profile on shaadi.com and Pradeep too had a profile there. He claimed to hold a law degree and a PhD, and said he would soon become a Judge.”

“Believing him, we fixed the marriage and even printed 500 wedding invitation cards costing Rs. 600 each. Before the wedding, we spent nearly Rs. 89 lakh, trusting him. But Imran from Mysuru exposed his fraud network,” he said.

“It was fortunate that the marriage was called off at the last stage. Pradeep has cheated many young women, widows and innocent people, siphoning off lakhs of rupees. He has ruined lives and lived through blackmail. Such a man deserves strict punishment,” he added.

Financial favours sought

According to victims who contacted the Adugodi Police, after gaining the trust of the victims and their families, Pradeep allegedly claimed that a huge amount of his money was ‘stuck’ in the bank due to technical reasons and sought urgent financial assistance, assuring them that the amount would soon be repaid.

Believing his claims, a wealthy Bengaluru-based family recently transferred lakhs of rupees to him, only to later realise that they had been cheated. Soon after receiving the money, Pradeep and his mother allegedly disappeared.