A deceptive matrimonial fraud syndicate preying on middle-aged men through misleading matrimonial advertisements has been dismantled in Chhattisgarh's Janjgir-Champa district. Acting on a formal complaint, the cyber police station apprehended five people, including four women, who orchestrated an elaborate scheme to extort money. The victim, identified as 53-year-old Resham Lal Sahu from Nawagarh, was swindled out of 5.65 lakh rupees under fabricated personal pretexts. Following the arrests, all five suspects were produced before the court and subsequently remanded to judicial custody.
The Trapping Through a Matrimonial Advertisement
The fraud began when the criminal ring placed a marriage advertisement in circulation. Resham Lal Sahu, residing in Nawagarh, contacted the telephone details provided in the notice seeking a matrimonial match. A female member of the gang initiated communication by introducing herself under the name Padma and claimed to be working as a professional nurse at a government hospital in Mahasamund. By establishing regular contact and offering assurances of a prospective wedding, she gradually gained his trust, setting the stage for financial exploitation.
Fabricated Emergencies to Siphon Off Money
Once an emotional rapport was established, the impostor began demanding funds under the guise of various urgent medical and domestic emergencies. She initially cited her mother's medical treatment costs, followed by claims of her own sudden illness. The requests escalated further with false claims of a road accident and eventually the purported demise of her mother. Believing the stories to be genuine and acting out of goodwill toward his prospective bride, Resham Lal Sahu repeatedly transferred money, totaling an accumulation of 5.65 lakh rupees over time.
Suspicion Leads to Investigation and Formal Complaint
The fraudulent operation started unraveling when the victim observed that every interaction was centered solely around financial requests, while discussions regarding the actual marriage were consistently deferred. Realizing something was amiss, Resham Lal Sahu demanded the return of his money, only to be met with avoidance and refusal. Convinced that he had been cheated, he approached the Janjgir cyber police station. Preliminary police inquiries confirmed the financial fraud, prompting the registration of crime number 10/26 against the perpetrators.
All Five Accused Hailing from Rajnandgaon
Detailed investigation led police to the suspects, all residents of the Rajnandgaon area. The arrested individuals have been identified as Bhumika Rangari, Naseem Bano, Tayyaba Ban, Shayna Bano, and Rohit Kumar Gupta. According to Janjgir police, accused Bhumika Rangari already carries a prior criminal record involving matrimonial fraud under identical pretenses. Law enforcement officials are continuing their investigation to determine the broader scope of their operations and trace potential past victims targeted through similar newspaper notices.
