A fraudulent marriage racket has been busted in Umapur village of Maharashtra’s Beed district, where a gang allegedly used the same woman to con multiple men by arranging fake marriages and extorting money, officials said on Wednesday.
According to the complaint filed by Yogesh Shinde, he was duped of nearly Rs 9 lakh after being trapped in what turned out to be a pre-planned scam. Police said the woman involved in the case had allegedly been married to eight other men earlier as part of the same racket, making Shinde the ninth target.
Shinde’s family was reportedly searching for a bride when a local marriage agent approached them with a proposal. The agent demanded Rs 3.5 lakh to fix the alliance. The family eventually paid Rs 3 lakh: Rs 1 lakh in cash and Rs 2 lakh through digital transfer.
Three days after receiving the payment, the agent brought the woman to Shinde’s village, and the marriage was solemnised at a nearby temple. Around a month later, Shinde was taken to meet a woman introduced as his bride’s mother, who was later found to be an impersonator.
Within two months of the wedding, the woman allegedly fled the house, taking away 6 grams of gold and Rs 80,000 in cash. On investigating further, Shinde discovered that the same woman and the agents had been operating this fraud since 2023, targeting men in rural areas under the guise of arranged marriages.
Shinde has claimed a total loss of around Rs 9 lakh, including marriage-related expenses and stolen valuables.
A complaint has been registered in Beed, and Shinde has also approached the Superintendent of Police seeking strict action. He has alleged that the ordeal has left him mentally distressed and pushed him to the brink of suicide.
Further investigation into the matter is underway.
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Published By:
Sahil Sinha
Published On:
May 6, 2026 21:35 IST
