Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
A marriage proposal, a journey from Rajasthan to Bihar and a wedding ritual that ended in an alleged assault. What appeared to be a marriage alliance was part of a carefully planned fraud, police said, as they busted a 10-member gang accused of trapping families under the guise of marriage.
The gang, described by police as a so-called ‘Robber Bride’ gang, lured families with marriage proposals, persuaded them to make purchases for the wedding and then took them to a village where a sham marriage ceremony was conducted. The victims were subsequently assaulted and driven away.
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A family from Rajasthan was targeted in the latest case, leading police in Bihar‘s Dhanbad to arrest 10 people and recover clothes, jewellery and other items purchased for the wedding.
MARRIAGE PROPOSAL BRINGS RAJASTHAN FAMILY TO BIHAR
The case came to light late on September 7, when Ramesh Nat, a resident of Rajasthan, lodged a complaint.
According to the victim’s family, a woman identified as Sapna had contacted Ramesh on September 3 and sent photographs of two young women in connection with a marriage proposal for his nephew.
As the discussions progressed, Ramesh travelled from Rajasthan to Bihar’s Dhanbad along with his brother, his nephew Iqbal and his sister-in-law.
What followed, however, allegedly turned the marriage proposal into a trap.
WEDDING SHOPPING, CEREMONY AND ASSAULT
After the family reached Dhanbad, the accused allegedly took them shopping under the pretext of making arrangements for the wedding.
They were later taken to a village, where a marriage ritual was conducted. As part of the ceremony, vermilion, or sindoor, was applied to the forehead of the woman.
After the ritual, the accused asked the groom’s family to accompany them to their home for a meal.
When the family hesitated to go, the situation allegedly turned violent. According to the complaint, the family members were assaulted and chased away.
The family then approached the police, setting off an investigation into the marriage fraud.
POLICE TRACKED ACCUSED USING PHONE DATA
Following the complaint, Dhanbad police began tracing those allegedly involved in the incident.
DSP Kumar Vinod said investigators used mobile numbers and phone location data to track down the accused. Police subsequently arrested 10 people one by one.
The police also recovered clothes, jewellery and other items allegedly purchased for the wedding from the accused.
The arrested accused have been identified as Ajay Das, Rajesh Kumar, Mantosh Sao, Suman Vishwakarma, Chandan Sharma, Neelam Devi, Pooja Kumari, Makri Devi, Vishu Yadav and Rajendra Sao.
POLICE PROBE GANG’S PREVIOUS CASES
Police said the gang comprised both men and women who targeted families looking for marriage alliances.
Investigators are now examining the gang’s previous activities and its wider network. Police suspect that the group may have victimised several other people using a similar marriage-related fraud, though those cases are still being investigated.
Police are also examining the roles of other individuals who may be linked to the gang.
For now, all 10 accused in the Dhanbad case have been arrested, while investigators continue to probe the alleged network and its past activities.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
