In a shocking incident, a 26-year-old man was arrested by Waliv police in Vasai East on Wednesday, February 19, for raping around 15 women over the past two and a half years. The accused has been identified as Himanshu Yogeshbhai Panchal. He created fake profiles on matrimonial websites to lure women under the false promise of marriage.
Panchal, a resident of Ahmedabad, pretended to be an officer from the Delhi crime branch. He claimed to work in the cybersecurity division. His profile described him as coming from a wealthy family with several properties.
Panchal contacted women through these websites. He invited them to hotels in Vasai, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad. He made false promises of marriage and gave them fake diamond jewellery. On their first meeting, he would persuade them to have sex with him.
After sexually exploiting the women, Panchal would cut off contact. He also extorted money from them. He would fabricate emergencies and demand financial support.
The scam came to light on February 6 when a 31-year-old woman from Mira Road filed a complaint. She told the Waliv police that Panchal had contacted her through a matrimonial site. He gained her trust by gifting her fake diamond jewellery.
The woman alleged that Panchal raped her at hotels in Ahmedabad and Vasai. She provided this information to the police.
Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Sanap from Waliv police station said Panchal had strong communication skills. He charmed women with his fluent English. Panchal always used WhatsApp for calls and relied on hotel WiFi. He possessed five mobile phones and an Apple Mac.
The police launched a technical investigation. They tracked Panchal's location to Ahmedabad. He was then taken into custody. The investigation is ongoing.
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