In a significant crackdown on organized marriage fraud, the Rohtas district police have arrested five individuals, including three women, for allegedly cheating men from Rajasthan through fake wedding ceremonies. The arrests were made from different villages across the district, and the accused have been sent to judicial custody.
The Modus Operandi of the Fraud Gang
According to Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Dehri, Atulesh Jha, the gang specifically targeted older men from outside Bihar, particularly Rajasthan, who were facing difficulties in getting married. The accused would arrange a sham marriage with one of the female members, Jaya Kumari Patel, collect a hefty sum of money and gold ornaments in the name of wedding expenses, and then abscond immediately after the ceremony.
The police action was initiated on January 2 after a complaint was filed by Manoj Soni, a resident of Purana Bapu Nagar in Bhilwara, Rajasthan. Soni alleged in his FIR at Dehri Nagar police station that he was cheated of approximately Rs 1.40 lakh in cash and gold jewellery, which included a mangalsutra, toe rings, anklets, a nose ring, and a saree, following a marriage on the same day at a temple in the Anikat area.
Swift Police Action and Arrests
A special police team was formed under Dehri Nagar Station House Officer (SHO) Shivendra Kumar, with support from the District Investigation Unit (DIU). Acting on the complaint, the team first arrested the alleged bride, Jaya Kumari Patel, from Gori village under Kargahar police station.
Based on her interrogation, the police then apprehended Ragini alias Jhuni Devi from the Karakat area. Further questioning revealed the involvement of three other gang members: Dharmshila Devi, Abhishek Patel, and Shravan Kumar. All three were subsequently arrested from their respective locations in Aiyar Kotha, Gori village, and the Anikat area under Dehri Nagar police station.
From the possession of the accused, police recovered Rs 1,32,850 in cash, gold jewellery (including anklets, toe rings, a mangalsutra, and a nose ring), and two mobile phones.
A Pattern of Fraud Emerges
This case is not an isolated incident in the Dehri subdivision. Police investigations revealed that within just one week, two men from Rajasthan fell victim to this same gang. In the FIR, Manoj Soni stated that the bride had falsely claimed her address as Gori village under Chenari police station, while it actually falls under Kargahar police station. He alleged that a total of around Rs 1.80 lakh and jewellery were taken before the accused fled.
Earlier, on December 30, another marriage fraud case was reported at Nauhatta police station. In that instance, Harchand Ram, a resident of Dhani in Jalore district, Rajasthan, alleged he was cheated of nearly Rs 3 lakh by a bride and her associates.
The raiding team in the latest case included Sub-Inspectors Chandrahans Kumar and Alka Soni, among other personnel. The police have highlighted this as a targeted scam exploiting the vulnerabilities of men seeking marriage from other states, and further investigations are ongoing.
