Uttar Pradesh Police have busted an alleged bride scam racket in Mirzapur and arrested five accused for allegedly cheating two men from Rajasthan of ₹1.30 lakh in the name of marriage. Investigators said the victims were called to Mirzapur for wedding ceremonies, after which the alleged brides and their associates fled with the money.
Rajasthan Men Lured to Mirzapur
According to police, the case was registered after a complaint filed on June 29 by Pushpendra, a resident of Kotputli-Behror in Rajasthan. He alleged that Rajendra Kumar Yadav, a resident of Sikar in Rajasthan, invited his two cousins to Lohandi Kala village in Mirzapur, claiming that brides had been arranged for them.
The marriage ceremonies were conducted at a Hanuman temple in the village on June 28. The complainant alleged that during the wedding, he transferred ₹1.30 lakh online after the bride’s side demanded money.
Five Accused Sent to Judicial Custody
Police said that after the marriage rituals were completed and the time came for the brides’ departure, both women allegedly fled with their associates, taking the money with them. The victims also alleged that the accused threatened to implicate them in false criminal cases if they pursued the matter.
Following the complaint, police registered a case and launched an investigation. Acting on specific inputs, investigators arrested five accused from Lohandi Kala village. They have been identified as Lavkush Yadav, Gudiya Yadav, Radha Kol, Deepak Pal and Rajendra Kumar Yadav.
All five accused were produced before a court and remanded to judicial custody.
Police Probe Wider Marriage Fraud Network
During the operation, police recovered four mobile phones from the accused. Preliminary examination of the devices allegedly revealed photographs of several young women, which investigators suspect were used to lure prospective victims through fake marriage proposals.
According to the investigation so far, the alleged gang primarily targeted unmarried men from Rajasthan. Police believe the accused shared photographs of women, fixed wedding dates and venues, conducted ceremonial marriage rituals, collected money from the groom’s family and then disappeared with the cash.
Police are continuing efforts to trace the two alleged brides and other absconding members of the network. Investigators are also examining whether the gang was involved in similar marriage fraud cases in other states.
