LUCKNOW: A man who duped several people by posing as a consultant of a VVIP, senior vice-president and director of US Defense Research and an IIT-Kharagpur and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) student, was arrested by Hazratganj police on Monday.

The accused, identified as

, was arrested from his Twin Towers residence on New Berry road in Hazratganj on the complaint of his wife alleging he had defrauded her as well by claiming to be a

at the time of their marriage in 2010.

A separate FIR was lodged against Sharma on the complaint of a city businessman whom he had conned by promising a government contract.

"Sharma posed as a defense analyst in United States, executive member of US Foreign Policy Council, a prominent artificial intelligence scientist, and a product of IIT-Kharagpur and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on social media websites. He has been duping people since 2007," said police officials.

Sharma's wife, Ganeshwari, had lodged an FIR of attempt to murder, forgery, criminal intimidation against him in Meerut on September 19. She alleged Atul claimed to be Nasa scientist and close to Barack Obama and had demanded a hefty dowry at the time of their marriage in 2010.

"A year after the marriage, I realised that he was a

and filed a divorce case. I also got to know that he was duping people since 2007," she said.

"On September 18, he visited my place in Meerut and opened fire on my father," she said in her complaint to police.

Hazratganj circle officer, Abhay Mishra said that Atul has also duped people in Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai by claiming to be working in US think tanks.

"We raided Sharma's residence and arrested him. When we asked him to show his IDs and educational records, he claimed to have left them behind at his Washington DC residence around 12 years ago," said Mishra.

Later, Intelligence Bureau sleuths were asked to conduct a check on him.

"We are checking his credentials and deals in the last 10 years," said Mishra.