Fake doc conning families held at marriage reception

According to police, the suspect, identified as Karthik from Coimbatore, had cheated at least one other woman posing to be a doctor and took Rs 12 lakh from her family.

In the latest case, he had collected Rs 10 lakh from the bride’s mother and demanded an additional Rs one lakh on the day of the reception. The demand created doubts in the mind of the girl’s mother, who works as a nurse in a government hospital in Chennai.

The bride’s family was introduced to ‘doctor’ Karthik by a common family friend, Thai Anban from Kolathur, an engineer at a private firm. Thai Anban met Karthik a few months ago in Coimbatore where he had gone for an official work. Karthik introduced himself as a doctor and both exchanged phone numbers.

Recently, he received a call from Karthik claiming that he was going to work at a government hospital in Chennai and sought a place to stay. He arranged a place in Villivakkam. Gradually, Karthik befriended Thai Anban’s parents after he pretended to be a rich boy with no parents.

During this time, a nurse known to Thai Anban’s family came with a proposal of marriage for her daughter, an MBA holder, with Karthik. After the initial talks, both sides agreed for marriage and Karthik collected Rs 10 lakh from the nurse.

After the marriage was held in a temple in Kumaran Nagar in Kolathur, the reception was organised on Thursday evening at a marriage hall in Madhavaram. During the function, Karthik had asked another Rs one lakh from the bride’s mother which created suspicion in their mind.

The bride’s family began questioning him, and when they found that he was not a doctor, they alerted the police. During questioning, Karthik reportedly confessed, and was arrested and remanded in judicial custody.