Police in India’s Uttar Pradesh have arrested seven people accused of running a gang that allegedly arranged fake marriages to scam men who were struggling to find partners.
Police made the arrests in Azamgarh district after a man identified as Ram Vilas filed a complaint over an alleged incident involving his son Rajkumar.
According to the complaint, the family received a photograph of a woman on WhatsApp before agreeing to her marriage with Rajkumar. The family was then invited to Bandhwa Mahadev Temple, where the wedding ceremony took place.
The bride received Rs80,000 in cash and jewellery as wedding gifts, according to the complaint.
Police said that after the ceremony, two men posing as the bride’s father and brother stopped the vehicle as Rajkumar travelled home with his new wife.
The men allegedly took the woman away and fled with the cash and jewellery, prompting the family to approach police.
Investigators stated that the suspects had used WhatsApp and other social media platforms to contact prospective grooms and show them photographs of women as potential brides. Once a man agreed to the marriage, the group allegedly arranged a wedding ceremony at a temple.
Police said that the gang would then carry out the same setup after the ceremony. As the groom travelled home with the bride, other members of the group allegedly stopped the vehicle while posing as the woman’s relatives. They would then take the bride and wedding gifts and leave the scene.
Indian media reported that the group consisted of five men and two women.
Police said one of the women acted as the bride, while the other posed as her mother to gain confidence of the groom’s family. The male suspects allegedly took on the roles of the bride’s relatives.
Following Ram Vilas’s complaint, police arrested all seven suspects, officials said, adding that Rs19,650 in cash, along with gold and silver jewellery were recovered from them.
Items used during the wedding and two motorcycles allegedly used in the crime were also recovered.
