Rajasthan: 23-year-old woman arrested for duping 25 men in marriage scam

Jaipur: A 23-year-old woman was arrested for allegedly duping at least 25 men by getting married to them and later absconding with cash and valuables, the police said Wednesday.

Anuradha, a resident of Shiv Nagar in Bhopal, was arrested by the Sawai Madhopur police on May 18.

She was arrested in Bhopal, where she was hiding after her marriage to another man.

"The accused woman has been found to have duped several individuals by arranging fake marriages and absconding with valuables, including cash and mobile phones," Mantown police station SHO Sunil Kumar said.

What led to her arrest was a case filed by Vishnu Gupta on May 3, where he claimed to have been misled by two individuals named Sunita and Pappu Meena, who promised him a suitable bride.

"They showed him a photo of Anuradha, convinced him to sign an agreement and subsequently took Rs 2 lakh from him for the marriage, which took place last month. However, after a week of the marriage, Anuradha disappeared with the dowry, jewellery and mobile phone," the SHO said.

An investigation revealed that Anuradha was involved in several similar instances in multiple states, where she vanished soon after getting married.

It was further discovered that Anuradha was in contact with several individuals in Bhopal, who were part of a larger network running a fraudulent marriage scam.

The scam involved showing photos of brides to potential grooms, collecting hefty sums ranging from Rs 2-5 lakh, and then organising fake marriages.

The fake brides would soon abscond after the marriage ceremony, leaving the victims in financial and emotional distress, police said.

Anuradha was finally tracked down by the police, who posed as a potential groom seeking a bride.

The breakthrough came when they saw Anuradha's photo among the list of women shown as potential brides, provided to them by certain individuals involved in the scam.

While Anuradha has been arrested, further investigation is underway to apprehend other members of the network and recover stolen valuables, the police said.