Kochi: The Kalamassery police on Thursday arrested a 31-year-old man who posed as an IPS officer to defraud several women and financial institutions. Karthik Venugopal, alias Vipin Karthik, a native of Malappuram, was apprehended from a shopping mall.

The arrest was carried out under the supervision of Kochi City Police Commissioner Putta Vimaladitya at the request of the Bengaluru City Police Commissioner.

Karthik befriended women by pretending to be an IPS officer, lured them with promises of marriage, and financially exploited them, police said. He also allegedly forged documents, obtained loans under false pretences, and created fake salary certificates to secure loans from multiple banks, police added.

The accused has 13 cases registered in his name. He was wanted in connection with a case filed at the Kadugodi Police Station in Bengaluru. He reportedly took money and vehicles from a Malayali woman after promising to marry her and subsequently tried to evade the marriage by falsely alleging he had cancer.

During the arrest, police recovered his mobile phone, laptop, and cash. After being held in Kalamassery police custody, the accused was handed over to the Bengaluru police for further investigation.