A man in Mumbai got married just to use the dowry money to pay off his pending dues! Facing mounting pressure from banks over uncleared loans, the 33-year-old decided to get married and put Rs 1.7 lakh in cash and valuables, given to him in dowry, to some creative use. And to ensure the bride's family would give their daughter's hand in marriage, he even lied about his profession; instead of revealing himself to be the watchman at a suburban building, he claimed to be a high-flying banker and owner of a posh flat worth Rs 4.75 crore.

The man, identified as Naresh Lalwani, was arrested on Saturday after going missing for two years. According to the Mumbai police, Naresh's parents, Harkishan and Rinita, were also involved in the con. "Naresh was married to the complainant in 2013. Due to losses suffered by the Lalwanis, the family was under massive debts, but they hid this from the victim. Though he claimed to own a flat on Carter Road, he never took his wife there. He even mortgaged the jewellery to repay money to his lenders," said a police officer.

After the victim had a baby boy, the man refused to even pay for the expenses, nor did he visit her at her maternal home. In fact, soon after becoming a father, he severed all ties with his wife. Police reports say Naresh was in the process of filing for a divorce at a family court.

"The victim registered a complaint in 2016, after which Naresh went missing. On Saturday, he was spotted in Andheri by an informant. It was then revealed that he was arrested by a company and the reason he had gone missing is because he was spending time in prison. He found a job as a watchman upon his release," the officer added.

Naresh has been booked under sections 498(a), 406 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code, while the police are looking for Harkishan and Rinita. Naresh is out on bail and the matter is being probed further.

Who Is Lalwani