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Woman forced into three marriages in a month by trafficking racket
The incident came to light on March 6 in Kanadi Budruk village in Beed district when the 21-year-old woman, a resident of Latur district, allegedly attempted suicide by consuming a chemical
Beed police have uncovered an alleged forced-marriage trafficking racket operating from Pune after a 21-year-old woman attempted suicide following repeated exploitation. Four people from Pune have been booked in connection with the case.
The incident came to light on March 6 in Kanadi Budruk village in Beed district when the 21-year-old woman, a resident of Latur district, allegedly attempted suicide by consuming a chemical. Police said the victim was frustrated and harassed by middle agents who forced her into three marriages within a month and were preparing to arrange another one.
Based on the complaint filed by the victim at Ashti police station on Saturday, police booked Mahananda from Hadapsar in Pune (full name not known), her husband, Balika (full name not known) from Tuljapur in Dharashiv district, and her husband. According to the preliminary investigation by the Ashti police, Mahananda was working as an agent.
In her statement recorded on March 6 while undergoing treatment at a hospital, the woman said she is a resident of Latur and was earlier married to Tejash Dhukre Khelbude in Beed. The couple has a one-and-a-half-year-old daughter. However, following marital disputes, she returned to her parental home.
The victim told police that her neighbour from Latur, a woman named Sangeeta (full name not known), informed her about an agent named Mahananda in Pune who could help arrange a new marriage proposal.
About a month ago, Sangeeta and the victim travelled to Pune and met Mahananda at her residence in Hadapsar.
According to the victim’s statement reviewed by Hindustan Times, Mahananda took ₹5 lakh from Amar Kalbhor from Katraj and forced the victim to marry him. The victim stayed with Kalbhor for about 10 days. After that, Mahananda brought her back.
Four days later, Mahananda allegedly forced the victim to marry another man from Kurkumbh in Pune district after taking ₹4.5 lakh from him. The victim stayed there for five days before being brought back again.
Mahananda then contacted a woman named Balika from Tuljapur to arrange another marriage. Balika allegedly fixed the victim’s marriage with a man named Purushottam Khile from Kanadi Budruk in Beed district for ₹4.5 lakh.
On March 1, Mahananda and her husband took the victim to Kanadi Budruk. Balika and her husband were also present. On March 4, at Balika’s house in Tuljapur, they allegedly forced the victim to marry Khile.
Shrikrushna Shinde, police sub-inspector at Ashti police station, who is investigating the case, said, “Within one month, Mahananda and her husband from Hadapsar arranged two marriages for the victim. With the help of Balika and her husband from Tuljapur, they arranged the third marriage. All of them took money from these marriages and ruined her life.”
On March 6, Mahananda’s husband allegedly called the victim and informed her that another “good match” had come and that they would arrange yet another marriage. Under pressure and frustration, the victim allegedly consumed a poisonous chemical on March 7 in a suicide attempt. She was rushed to a private hospital in Mirajgaon in Beed district and is currently under observation.
Speaking with Hindustan Times, Beed superintendent of police Navneet Kanwat said, “We are investigating the case, and as of now no arrest has been made.”
Shinde said police teams are working to identify and trace all accused persons involved in the case, and arrests will follow soon.
Police suspect the accused may have been operating as part of a wider agent network and may have been in contact with other women, possibly trafficking them under the guise of marriage proposals.
Officials from the Ashti police station confirmed that large amounts of money were exchanged during the marriages. Prima facie, police also found that a certain amount may have been received by the victim, though further details will emerge after arrests and interrogation of the accused.
Ashok Tangade, chairman of the Beed District Child Welfare Committee (CWC), said such agents are active in rural parts of the district and target unmarried men by charging heavy fees on the pretext of arranging marriages.
“In rural areas, many youths struggle to find a match. Agents exploit this situation by charging large amounts while promising marriage proposals,” Tangade said.
According to Tangade, such frauds are increasingly reported from rural areas and often leave unmarried men in financial distress after losing money.
Police have registered a case against the four accused under sections 318 (cheating) and 61 (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Officials said more sections may be added as the investigation progresses. Further probe is underway to identify others involved in the network.
