The founder and a faculty member of a marine engineering college in Madhyamgram has been arrested for allegedly raping and cheating a woman by making false promises of marriage and using her money to set up the college.

The woman has lodged a complaint with a court, alleging that Sammohan Banerjee, 32, had gone back on his promise of marrying her.

The two met five years ago when the victim was working in a nursing home at New Alipore. Banerjee, a resident of Hridaypur in Barasat, allegedly promised to marry the victim, lived with her for a few months and took Rs 5 lakh from her. He invested the money in the college.

“Apart from making false promises of marriage, Banerjee had taken Rs 5 lakh from the woman in two instalments. The payments were made in cheque,” said the officer.

The woman realised she had been cheated when Banerjee married someone else last year. “She lodged a complaint with the court one-and-a-half months ago under Section 156 (3) of the CrPC. We acted on the instructions of the court and started a case of rape, cheating and criminal breach of trust,” said a police officer.

The police have procured the woman’s bank account details, which show that money had been transferred from her account to Banerjee’s.

The woman has undergone medical tests and her statements have been recorded in court.

Banerjee was produced in court on Wednesday and remanded in police custody.

Gold chain snatched: Two youths on a motorbike snatched a gold chain from a woman and fled while firing in the air near Sonarpur station, on the southern fringes, on Wednesday evening.

Police said Tulu Bhattacharya, 55, and her sister were walking home along a dark and deserted road when the youths snatched the chain. Some passersby chased the duo after the woman raised an alarm but the pillion-rider shot three rounds in the air and fled.

Murder arrest: Police on Wednesday arrested two men for allegedly killing a Behala-based promoter and his friend in August. The bodies of Samir Kanji and his friend Tapan Roy had been found in Sonarpur on August 10. Cops said there was rivalry between Kanji and another promoter Ambey Jaiswal over a plot in Behala. He had allegedly hired three men to kill Kanji and Roy, said cops. Jaiswal and a hired goon were arrested.

Accident: A 45-year-old man died after his bike collided with a truck at Ichhapur, on the northern fringes, on Wednesday. Police said Ashok Dasgupta, a resident of Nawabgunj who worked at Barrackpore court, was on his way to work when he met with the accident. He was declared dead at PN Bose Hospital.

Fake cosmetics: Fake cosmetics worth Rs 4.2 lakh were seized from two shops in the Posta area on Wednesday. The shop owners were arrested.