The Nagpur Rural Police have busted a four-member gang, including two women, involved in matrimonial fraud. One of the women in the gang was marrying needy persons, while another charged fees of Rs 50,000 for arranging marriages. On the next day after marriage, the brides would flee from the homes of their newly married husbands. Investigation revealed that the woman who married youngsters had a 12-year-old son and a nine-year-old daughter.

The gang was busted by Aroli Police in a meticulous trap in Nagpur after receiving a complaint. The accused have been identified as Satish Deepak Hirekhan (27) and Amit Tekam, both residents of Nagpur; Seema (35) and Sonu (32), both residents of Pardi.

 

The investigation began when Manohar Meshram (67), a resident of Wakeshwar village in Mauda tehsil, lodged a complaint with the police about the fraud involving his 30-year-old son Pravin, who works in Pune. Manohar was approached by one Komal Patil who assured him of finding a bride for his son. Manohar and Pravin met Sonu to discuss marriage on January 31. On the same day, the marriage was fixed, and Seema took Rs 50,000 for arranging Pravin’s marriage with Sonu. On February 2, the wedding took place at their village, and Sonu fled from the matrimonial house the next day, on February 3, at 10 am.

 

The Meshram family was shocked as their newlywed bride fled the house within 24 hours. After a few days, they grew suspicious as Seema and others were not responding to their phone calls. They approached Aroli Police and lodged a complaint. The police launched an investigation and concluded that the gang had duped many families in the district. Acting on a tip-off, the police managed to contact a common acquaintance. The police coerced him into arranging a meeting with Seema and the others. The man contacted Seema and informed her that he had a prospective groom from Agra interested in marriage. Seema asked him to bring the groom to Nagpur for a meeting.

 

The police officials formed two teams. A police constable posed as a prospective groom, with others joining him as family members. They traveled in a civilian car, with another police backup team in a separate vehicle. On Thursday morning, the police teams arrived in Nagpur for the meeting with Seema. However, she did not disclose the meeting spot until late in the evening when she asked them to meet at a paan shop in Pardi and requested Rs 10,000 to introduce the prospective bride. When Sonu arrived as the prospective bride and the backup was called in, the gang was arrested by the police. A case under Sections 419, 420, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code was registered by Aroli Police. Under the guidance of Superitendent of Police Harssh Poddar, the arrest was made by API Nishant Fulekar of Aroli Police Station and his team.