Police in Maharajganj arrested four women accused of arranging fraudulent marriages to cheat men. The case has spotlighted a planned con in which victims were allegedly stripped of cash and jewellery.
Police in Maharajganj, Uttar Pradesh, have busted a “looteri dulhan” (fraud bride) gang involved in cheating unsuspecting men under the pretext of marriage, arresting four women accused of orchestrating the scam. A fifth accused, a man identified as Jitendra, remains absconding.
The action was carried out by Sinduria Police Station police, who arrested the women near Chiutaha Bazaar. Officials recovered Rs 39,500 in cash, along with silver anklets and a mangalsutra allegedly obtained through fraud.
Superintendent of Police Shakti Mohan Awasthi revealed the details during a press briefing, stating that the gang operated in a well-planned manner by arranging fake marriages and extorting money and valuables from victims.
The case came to light after a complaint was filed by Ranjeet Chauhan, a resident of Etah, who alleged that Jitendra and four women had arranged his marriage with a woman named Anjalika. The gang falsely claimed that the bride was unmarried, while in reality she was already married and had a child.
According to the complaint, the accused conducted wedding rituals at a local temple in the Sinduria area, during which they extracted nearly Rs 1 lakh and jewellery from the victim in the name of wedding expenses. Midway through the ceremony, the accused allegedly turned aggressive, assaulted the victim, and fled the scene. Jitendra escaped with the “bride,” while the others later went into hiding.
Following an investigation, police arrested four women — Sumitra, Lalti, Kajal, and Anjalika. During interrogation, Lalti emerged as the alleged mastermind of the gang, with a prior criminal record.
