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With the arrest of four people, including two women, the Odisha police busted a gang that allegedly used to deceive several men of lakhs of rupees in the name of marriage, the police informed.
The gang, including two men from Chhatisgarh, used to target men who were divorced, rich and elderly, said the Kalahandi Superintendent of Police Saravana Vivek.
A woman named Elee Mahanta played the role of the bride while the three other people became her "parents" and "uncle" who negotiated with prospective grooms for marriage. The "father" of the bride gets some money as the mediator, which the gang members share later.
After the wedding, the bride used to stay with the groom for a few days and then leave giving him a bad name.
Following a complaint filed by a person of Kalahandi district, who has been duped of Rs 4 lakh by the gang, the police started an investigation and arrested its four members, the SP said.
Preliminary investigation revealed that they had cheated at least four men between 2013 and 2020.
"We suspect that the number may rise. Other people, who have been duped by them, might not have approached us fearing social stigma. We urge them to register a complaint,"
the SP said.
Elee, who is 32-year-old and a resident of Sundargarh district of Odisha, has four Aadhaar cards in different names, Vivek said.
Elee's "mother" Mina Gupta and "uncle" Sraban Soni hailed from Chhattisgarh, while Birbal Sharma, who used to act as her father, lives in the Bolangir district of Odisha.
It is also being investigated how Elee procured several fake Aadhaar cards.
With PTI Inputs
