“Looting Brides” Gang Strikes in Sambhal: Four Young Men Duped in One and a Half Months

Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh: A shocking series of fraud cases involving “looting brides” has come to light in Sambhal, where four young men were duped over the past one and a half months. Three newlywed brides reportedly fled with cash and jewelry just a few days after their weddings, while the fourth was caught by villagers before she could escape.

The Modus Operandi
All four weddings were arranged by a woman named Kajal, who charged between ₹50,000 to ₹1 lakh per wedding. Three of the victims were local to the village of Patraua in the Chandousi area of Sambhal, while the fourth was a relative from Delhi. After the weddings, the brides reportedly stole the families’ cash and jewelry. Villagers intervened in the case of the fourth bride, Pooja, wife of local resident Raju, and handed her over to the police.

Gang Tactics Revealed
Pooja admitted during questioning that she was part of a gang that lures people intending to marry. They target families willing to spend money on weddings, using deception to trap their victims. Villagers’ vigilance prevented a further scam in the fourth case.

Individual Cases

• Ramjimal’s Case: About one and a half months ago, Ramjimal from Patraua approached Kajal to arrange his son Bhola’s marriage. Kajal, presenting herself as a marriage broker, charged ₹1 lakh and arranged Bhola’s marriage with a girl named Aarti, also collecting an additional ₹10,000 for the bride’s clothes.
• Raju’s Case: Raju, a widower with two children, sought a suitable match for remarriage. Kajal arranged the wedding for ₹53,000.
• Delhi Groom Case: Ajay, a local villager, reported that Kajal arranged a marriage for a Delhi resident’s son, Monu, six days prior, charging ₹1 lakh. However, the bride fled with valuables from the Delhi household the following Tuesday night.

Police Investigation Underway
Authorities have confirmed that in the cases where the brides fled, the theft occurred within three to four days after the wedding. All incidents involve weddings arranged through Kajal for monetary gain. Police are investigating the full extent of the gang’s activities and will take legal action based on the findings.

Villagers and authorities are now closely monitoring such cases to prevent similar fraud in the future.