In a startling development, Surat police have busted a fake marriage scam orchestrated by a gang of five women who lured men into fraudulent marriages to extort money. Unlike previous reports mostly involving the Patel community, this scam has emerged within the Muslim community.
The Athwa police arrested Zarina Khatoon, Heena (alias Nargisbanu), Muskaan, Sahista Banu, and Sana following a complaint by Yohan Khan Pathan, a youth from Ahmedabad’s Vejalpur area. Yohan married a woman from Surat’s Athwa locality, after her “mother” demanded Rs1 lakh to cover wedding expenses, claiming the bride’s father had passed away. The groom paid the amount, and the marriage took place.
Shockingly, the day after the wedding, the bride and her “mother” fled, citing urgent work, and stopped all communication. When Yohan reached out, he was threatened with false rape allegations if he sought his money back. All his calls were blocked thereafter.
Investigation revealed a sophisticated racket. Heena acted as a marriage broker, coordinating with an agent in Ahmedabad to set up the fake nikah. Sana posed as the bride, Zarina as her mother, and the others assisted in executing the scam. On the wedding night, the women absconded with the Rs1 lakh, leaving the victim in distress.
Zarina confessed to running a marriage bureau that arranged several such fraudulent weddings. Police are now scrutinizing the nikah’s legitimacy and the cleric involved. The probe is ongoing to identify other gang members and victims.
This case highlights the exploitation of marriage sanctity for fraud, with law enforcement committed to cracking down on such crimes.
