The arrest follows a series of complaints filed against the accused Peter Arivarasan, highlighting a pattern of deceit targeting vulnerable individuals.
Chennai man arrested for cheating woman, others of over Rs 60 lakh
Authorities are now probing deeper to uncover additional victims and trace the money trail
In a crackdown on financial fraud, Chennai Police have arrested a man accused in several cheating cases that have defrauded victims of lakhs of rupees through false promises ranging from securing educational seats to retrieving auctioned valuables.
The arrest follows a series of complaints filed against the accused Peter Arivarasan, highlighting a pattern of deceit targeting vulnerable individuals.
Woman cheated of Rs 12 lakh
One of the key cases involves Uma, a 48-year-old resident of Karim Nagar in Palavakkam, Chennai. According to the First Information Report (FIR) registered on January 8, at Neelankarai Police Station under sections 318(4) and 316(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, Uma alleged that Arivarasan cheated her of approximately Rs 11.65 lakh (around Rs 12 lakh including related expenses) by promising to secure a seat for her daughter in the M.Sc Speech Language Pathology course at Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research in Porur.
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Uma detailed in her complaint that she was introduced to Arivarasan through a family friend, Kannan. Between May 30 and 31, 2025, she transferred Rs 10 lakh to Arivarasan's bank account, Rs 4 lakh initially, followed by Rs 6 lakh sourced from pawning jewellery and a top-up loan after he assured her of guaranteeing the admission. Her daughter, Amirtha, appeared for the entrance exam on June 29, 2025, scoring 61.67 marks, but received no counselling call for the desired course. Instead, on August 8, 2025, a call came for M.Sc Audiology, which the family rejected as it did not align with their plans.
Arivarasan allegedly urged Uma to pay an additional Rs 1.65 lakh on August 1, 2025, claiming it was for course fees, but failed to deliver on his promise. When confronted, he reportedly became evasive and instructed her to contact Kannan instead. "We were fully deceived," Uma stated in her FIR, expressing her desperation to recover the funds amid financial hardship.
Doctor duped of Rs 43 lakh
This is not an isolated incident. Another complainant, Santosh George, owner of Original Kerala Jewellers in Chennai’s T Nagar, accused Arivarasan of involvement in a fraudulent transaction where a customer bought gold jewellery, issued a cheque, and later demanded its return by falsely claiming prior payment. George filed a complaint leading to a criminal case, prompting further scrutiny.
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In yet another case, Dr. Saravanan reported being duped of Rs 43 lakh. He claimed Arivarasan promised to recover old auctioned jewellery from the Catholic Syrian Bank and lured him into depositing money in a firm called UAR with assurances of high-interest returns. No such returns materialised, and the jewellery was never retrieved.
Neelankarai police, acting on these complaints, launched an investigation that led to Arivarasan's arrest. Authorities are now probing deeper to uncover additional victims and trace the money trail. "This appears to be a web of organised fraud preying on people's aspirations and trust," a police official said on condition of anonymity. The total amount involved across the known cases exceeds Rs 66 lakh, with more potentially emerging.
Arivarasan has been remanded in custody, and the investigation is ongoing. Police urge anyone with similar experiences to come forward.