Police have busted an alleged gang accused of cheating families in the name of marriage in Dhanbad. The case came to light in the Barwadda police station area after a family from Rajasthan, which had travelled to Dhanbad for a marriage, was allegedly trapped by the group. The family was first shown photographs of young women for a proposed marriage and was then taken shopping for wedding-related items. The family was subsequently taken to a village, where marriage rituals were performed and the groom was made to apply sindoor to the woman’s forehead. After the ceremony, the situation allegedly changed and the family was assaulted and driven away. Police have arrested 10 people in connection with the case following an investigation.
The case reportedly began on September 3. According to police, a woman named Sapna contacted Rajasthan resident Ramesh Nat by phone. She sent photographs of two young women, saying that they could be potential marriage matches for Ramesh’s nephew. The photographs were used to assure the family that a suitable marriage proposal could be arranged. As discussions progressed, Ramesh travelled from Rajasthan to Dhanbad with his brother, nephew and sister-in-law. The family expected the marriage discussions to proceed and the proposal to be finalised, but police said a cheating operation had allegedly already been planned.
After the family reached Dhanbad, members of the alleged gang took them shopping in the name of making wedding preparations. They were taken to purchase clothes, jewellery and other wedding-related items. This reportedly led the family to believe that everything was proceeding normally and that they were genuinely preparing for the marriage. Police investigation found that after the shopping, the family was taken to a village where arrangements had been made for the marriage rituals. The woman was presented as the bride and the marriage ceremony was completed after the groom applied sindoor to her forehead.
After the ceremony, the alleged gang members reportedly asked the groom and his family to accompany them to their house for a meal. When the family hesitated to go there, the situation allegedly escalated. They were reportedly assaulted over the issue and driven away. The family, which believed it had completed the marriage ceremony and would return with a new daughter-in-law, instead approached the police after allegedly becoming victims of fraud and violence. Following the incident, the matter came to light and Barwadda police began an investigation.
After the case was reported, police used technical investigation rather than relying only on local inquiries. According to DSP Headquarters-1 Kumar Vinod, police used mobile numbers and phone locations to trace the accused. Based on technical evidence, police conducted operations at different locations and arrested 10 people one by one. Police also recovered clothes, jewellery and other items purchased for the marriage from the accused.
The arrested accused have been identified as Ajay Das, Rajesh Kumar, Mantosh Saw, Suman Vishwakarma, Chandan Sharma, Neelam Devi, Pooja Kumari, Makri Devi, Vishu Yadav and Rajendra Saw. According to police, both men and women were allegedly part of the gang. Investigators are now examining the role of each accused and the means through which gang members contacted families looking for marriage proposals. Police are also investigating whether other people besides those arrested were part of the network.
The alleged method used by the gang is a key aspect of the case. The process reportedly involved showing a marriage proposal, sending photographs of a woman, bringing the family to Dhanbad, arranging shopping and then conducting marriage rituals. The entire process was allegedly structured in a way that prevented the family from initially suspecting anything. After rituals such as the sindoor ceremony were completed, the family would believe that the marriage had actually taken place. The gang allegedly changed its behaviour thereafter and the victims were reportedly assaulted and removed from the location.
According to reports, the victim family also provided police with evidence related to the wedding purchases along with its complaint. Some reports have mentioned different amounts in connection with purchases and financial transactions, so these figures should be treated cautiously until the police investigation officially establishes them. At present, it is clear that the family was made to incur expenses in the name of wedding preparations and that a dispute arose after the marriage ceremony was completed.
Police are also investigating how many families the alleged gang may have targeted previously. Officials suspect that similar marriage-related frauds may have been committed against more than one person. Victims sometimes do not file complaints because of concerns about social reputation or embarrassment. Police may therefore examine older cases, the accused persons’ mobile phones, contacts and other digital evidence. This could also help determine whether the alleged network has an interstate component.
The Dhanbad case has also highlighted the need to verify information before trusting unknown families or intermediaries in marriage-related arrangements. Marriage proposals are increasingly arranged through social media, mobile phones, online platforms and intermediaries. Relying only on photographs or phone conversations to finalise a marriage can therefore carry risks. Families should independently verify the prospective party’s permanent address, identity, family background and other necessary details, particularly when a proposal is finalised suddenly and the family is asked to travel to another state.
In this case, the family was brought from Rajasthan to another state. For a family travelling a long distance, knowledge of local circumstances may be limited. Police or trusted local people can therefore be approached for verification rather than relying entirely on intermediaries. Documents and identity details should also be verified before making any significant payment or purchasing wedding-related items.
The police technical investigation played an important role in tracing the suspects. After using mobile numbers and location information to identify the accused, police arrested 10 people. Investigators are now questioning the accused to determine who played the main role in the alleged gang, where the photographs of the women came from, who contacted the families and how locations were selected for conducting the marriage ceremonies.
Another important aspect of the investigation is the examination of mobile phones and marriage-related items recovered by police. One report has also stated that 13 mobile phones were recovered from the accused. If these devices contain contacts linked to other potential victims, intermediaries or gang members, the investigation could be expanded.
Barwadda police have so far arrested 10 accused in the case and the investigation into the alleged network is continuing. Police are also trying to determine how many similar incidents the arrested individuals may have carried out previously. If links with earlier cases are established, Dhanbad police could uncover a larger network allegedly involved in marriage-related fraud.
The case has attracted attention because the alleged gang is accused of turning an ordinary marriage-arrangement process into a planned fraud. The alleged sequence involved showing a prospective bride’s photograph, bringing the family to Dhanbad, arranging wedding shopping, conducting the sindoor ceremony and then allegedly creating a situation involving a dispute and assault. Following the arrests, police are now investigating the size of the alleged network and whether other people were involved. With 10 arrests so far, the investigation is continuing.
