Preacher cons four on promise of marriage, held

A city-based preacher, who cheated at least four women followers on the promise of marriage and received money from them, has been arrested by the Cyber Crime wing of the Greater Chennai Police.

The accused Arunprakash (39) of Tiruvanmiyur runs a local satellite channel where he preaches about Christianity and also manages a YouTube channel, said Cyber Crime police, who arrested him based on an e-mail complaint from a Sri Lankan woman settled in Cyprus.

Police said Arunprakash befriended the victim on social media in 2017. While they exchanged phone numbers, Arunprakash proposed to marry the victim and received Rs 10 lakh.

However, the woman came to know that Arunprakash had got married to another woman in 2020. Since he did not reimburse her, she approached the Greater Chennai Police.

The Cyber Crime wing, after obtaining a formal complaint from the victim by post, registered a case and picked Arunprakash from his house. Investigation revealed that he had cheated three other women too in a similar fashion.

“He proposes to women who approach him after seeing his preaching videos and receive money from them on the promise of marriage,” said an officer. Arunprakash has been remanded in judicial custody.