**Maharashtra Police Crack Down on Matrimonial Fraud Racket in Dhule**
In a significant breakthrough, the Dhule police have arrested four individuals—including three women and one man—allegedly involved in running a matrimonial fraud racket. The accused reportedly duped several people by charging money under the pretext of arranging marriages, only for the brides to disappear shortly after the wedding ceremonies.
Among those arrested, two acted as agents, while the other two posed as brides. All four accused are residents of Nagpur. They were produced before a Dhule court on Tuesday and remanded to police custody until Thursday, according to reports from the Times of India.
**How the Fraud Was Discovered**
Police Inspector Sureshkumar Ghusar of Chalisgaon Road Police Station, Dhule, revealed that the case came to light after a 33-year-old accountant working in a private firm filed a complaint. The complainant had been unable to find a bride and was connected to a matrimonial agent through a relative.
The agent introduced him to a woman who agreed to marry him. The agent initially demanded Rs 1.5 lakh for arranging the marriage but later settled for Rs 1.3 lakh. The wedding took place on August 27.
Soon after the marriage, the complainant grew suspicious as the woman spent extended time on social media and expressed a desire to travel to Nagpur for a puja. Sensing something was amiss, he contacted the agent again, this time pretending to seek a bride for a relative. Simultaneously, he informed the police about his suspicions.
**Police Action and Investigation**
On Monday, the agent arrived in Dhule accompanied by a woman accomplice and another potential bride. Police detained all three on the spot.
Further investigation revealed that the woman who had married the complainant was already married to another man in Rajasthan and had a son. Following this discovery, the agent was arrested on Monday night, while the three women were taken into custody on Tuesday.
Police have seized the mobile phones of the accused and uncovered numerous photographs, indicating that multiple similar fraud cases may have been carried out by the group.
The Dhule police continue to investigate the matter and are committed to cracking down on such fraudulent activities to protect unsuspecting individuals seeking matrimonial alliances.
*Reported by Times of India.*
https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/maharashtra-dhule-police-bust-fake-marriage-racket-arrest-four-nagpur-residents-in-nashik