: Ten women, including the operator of a fake women-run call centre operating in the name of a marriage bureau in Vidyavasini Nagar Colony, Varanasi, were arrested on Tuesday, police said.
A police officer said the women cheated people by publishing forged and misleading details about young men and women in various newspapers. They posed as representatives of Shubhmatrimonial and issued forged registration forms and deposit slips in the name of a lifetime subscription.
The accused allegedly cheated around 600 people from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Telangana and other states. Ten cases have been registered against them in different states.
Addressing a press conference, deputy commissioner of police (Crime) Neetu Kadyan said a case had been registered against the accused under sections 3(5), 319(2), 318(4), 336(3) and 340(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
She said the investigation revealed that the accused first published attractive matrimonial advertisements in various newspapers. The advertisements carried forged and misleading details about marriageable young men and women, including their names, ages, castes, educational qualifications, occupations and salaries, along with contact mobile numbers.
When interested people contacted the numbers after being impressed by the advertisements, the accused introduced themselves as representatives of Shubhmatrimonial Marriage Bureau. They then encouraged the callers to deposit registration fees and other prescribed amounts in the name of a lifetime subscription.
{{/usCountry}}When interested people contacted the numbers after being impressed by the advertisements, the accused introduced themselves as representatives of Shubhmatrimonial Marriage Bureau. They then encouraged the callers to deposit registration fees and other prescribed amounts in the name of a lifetime subscription.
{{/usCountry}}After receiving the money, the accused neither provided the actual contact details or matrimonial profiles of the advertised men and women nor refunded the membership fees. They also blocked the complainants’ mobile numbers, the officer said.
Police recovered 27 mobile phones, one tablet, three cheque books, one passbook, five debit cards, three bill vouchers, three QR codes, one payment sound box, two registers, a rent agreement, Udyam Registration documents and Shubhmatrimonial matrimonial registration forms from their possession.