Groom Duped in Sham Marriage In Solapur’s Mangalwedha, Police Probe Wider Racket

A shocking case of alleged marriage fraud has surfaced from Solapur, where a young man was reportedly deceived into marriage and cheated of lakhs of rupees in Mangalwedha.

According to police sources, a marriage agent identified as Surekha Suryawanshi approached the victim’s family with a proposal, claiming that the prospective bride belonged to a poor family from the Maratha community. The agent allegedly collected Rs 2.7 lakh from the groom’s family to arrange the marriage.

Following the arrangement, the marriage was performed according to Hindu rituals. However, soon after the wedding, suspicion arose when the bride allegedly began preparing to flee with valuables from the house. The groom reportedly noticed her movements in time and managed to stop her before she could escape.

During subsequent inquiries, the family allegedly discovered that the woman had misrepresented her identity. Police investigations revealed that the woman was not from the community she had claimed and was allegedly already married with children.

The matter was reported to the police, who arrested both the accused bride and the agent involved in arranging the marriage. Authorities suspect the involvement of a larger fraud network targeting families through fake matrimonial arrangements.

Police officials said further investigations are underway to identify other potential victims and trace additional members of the suspected gang.