Bangalore:
The city police are searching for a fake Indian Premier League (IPL) player, who cheated a 34-year-old woman of Rs1 lakh on the promise of marrying her.
In her complaint made to the Kadugondanahalli police, Gangoo Bai of Esaluru village in Sirsi, named the suspect as Raviraj Patil.
Referring to the complaint, the police said Patil had contacted Bai's family through a broker, in response to a matrimonial advertisement placed in a Kannada daily. He introduced himself as a software engineer and an IPL player.
Bai's family reportedly told the police that on May 15, Patil and eight others introduced as his family members and the broker Malingaiah visited and stayed with them for two days. An engagement ceremony was also organized.
Patil had claimed that his family was residing in Arasikere.
A month later, Patil demanded Rs2 lakh to start a business and threatened to call off the wedding, if the money was not paid. He also told them that the family would be humiliated in the village, since the villagers already knew of the engagement.
"Fearing humiliation, we agreed to pay, and raised Rs1 lakh from friends and relatives. I came to Bangalore and handed over the money to him near the Lassi Park juice center on Tannery Road. I asked him if he would cheat me after taking the money. He said he was a humble man like Anil Kumble, Venkatesh Prasad and actor Ganesh, and wanted to marry a helpless woman like me," Bai said.
The man also showed her a few newspaper cuttings about cricketer Raviraj Patil. Incidentally, Raviraj Pandurang Patil, the real cricketer, has been playing for Mumbai Champs in the Indian Cricket League.
Bai said that Patil called her to the same juice shop and handed over a cheque for Rs1 lakh, saying he was calling off the engagement. Though he had written the amount and signed on the cheque, the payee's name was not mentioned.
Bai submitted the cheque after writing down her name. It bounced for want of funds.
It was only then that her family realized that the 'player' had played with their hopes. They approached the Sirsi police, who directed them to Bangalore since the money transaction was made here.
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