Odisha: Crime Branch arrests conman for exploiting hundreds of women

BHUBANESWAR: The Crime Branch of Odisha Police has arrested a man accused of sexually exploiting hundreds of women across the country by falsely promising marriage. The accused, identified as Biranchi Narayan Nath from Chhendipada in Angul district, allegedly victimised over 300 women, many of whom he abused both emotionally and financially.

According to police reports, Nath primarily targeted middle-aged women and widows seeking second marriages. After initiating relationships, he would extort money from them by threatening to release intimate photos and videos. Investigators revealed that Nath created multiple profiles on matrimonial websites, using the tagline “Second Marriage.” Posing as a railway employee, income tax inspector, or officer in the customs and central excise departments, he lured vulnerable women—often those who were unmarried, separated, widowed, or divorced.

Nath approached his victims through marriage proposals on these platforms, followed by persistent phone conversations and home visits. He manipulated his targets by promising lifelong companionship and emotional support for their children. Once he gained their trust, Nath would “marry” the women in temple ceremonies and move into their homes, though he never allowed them to visit his own residence.

Using hidden cameras and video calls, Nath secretly recorded intimate moments with the women, which he later used to blackmail them. He extorted large sums of money, gold, and other valuables, threatening to share the explicit content on social media if his demands were not met.

The conman's criminal activities came to light after a woman from Cuttack filed a formal complaint with the Cyber Crime Unit of the CID-Crime Branch. The woman, who had lost her husband in a 2022 road accident, registered on a matrimonial website in 2023 with the hope of remarrying and securing a future for her two daughters. She soon received a proposal from Nath who identified himself as Pravakar Srivastav and claimed to be a railway employee based in Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam.

Nath visited her home in October 2023 and expressed interest in marriage. Although her family requested time to decide, He persistently contacted her, emotionally manipulating her into the relationship. During video calls, he secretly recorded her nude, later coerced her into sexual relationships during trips outside Odisha.

Nath lived with the victim for five months, during which he subjected her to repeated physical and sexual abuse, threatening to release the videos if she resisted. He extorted approximately Rs 5 lakh and 32 grams of gold from her.

The investigation uncovered that Nath had multiple cases registered against him across various police stations, including in Berhampur, Angul Town, Jarpada, Balasore Sadar, Rourkela, Dhenkanal, Nayapalli, and Balipatna. His criminal activities extended beyond Odisha, with similar offenses reported in states such as Rajasthan, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, and Delhi.

The Crime Branch continues to investigate the full extent of Nath’s operations, working to identify other victims and bring justice to those affected by his schemes.