On July 13, at least a dozen men gathered at a local police station in central Kashmir’s Budgam district. Brought together by a shared misfortune, these men staged a protest over one of the most bizarre incidents in the recent times – they were all cheated by the same woman who had ‘married’ each one of them.
They alleged that the woman, who had used different names, duped them of cash and jewellery worth tens of lakhs of rupees. Her real identity remains unknown.
One of the victims, identified as Altaf from Budgam district, said, ‘’My marriage got delayed, and it was getting difficult to find a suitable match. One day, a matchmaker approached me and introduced me to Shaheena. She agreed to marry me on condition that I pay her Rs 2 lakh as mehr. I arranged the money and we held a humble marriage ceremony.’’
According to Muslim traditions, the groom is supposed to pay mehr (an amount agreed upon earlier) at the time of wedding to the bride.
After a few months, Shaheena told Altaf that she wanted to visit her parent’s house in Rajouri. “She left and never returned,’’ he said.
Like Altaf, there are at least 26 other men, who married the accused woman before she decamped with cash and gold on the pretext of visiting her parents’ house. However, police have not yet confirmed the actual number of victims. Most of the victims are from Budgam district.
Nisar Ahmad, another victim, said he spent around Rs. 6 lakh on marriage. After a few weeks of their wedding, the woman told him that she was going to visit the hospital. “She left the house that day and never returned,” says visibly heartbroken Nisar.
Seeking action against the accused, the victims, accompanied by their lawyer, Abid Andrabi, recently held a protest at the Press Colony Srinagar. “We demand action against the accused woman so that no one else falls prey to her nefarious design,” said one of the victims. Andrabi suspects involvement of an inter-district gang. “It is very likely that the woman was part of a gang in which some matchmakers are also involved. They introduce the girl to the victims, get them married, and after a few weeks, the bride decamps with gold and money. Then they hunt for another victim. Most of the victims are aged or disabled.”
Police have filed a case against the accused and the middleman who introduced her to the victims under sections 420 and 120 B of the IPC.
Confirming the case, Bugam police said, “We have received complaints from many people who are accusing the same woman of marrying and cheating them. An FIR has been lodged and further investigations are underway.”
The accused produced an anticipatory bail on Friday, and refused to have known any of the ‘grooms’. However, the matchmaker has been taken into custody.
