A woman from Punjab’s Ludhiana district, along with her daughter currently residing in Canada, has been accused of orchestrating a marriage scam that targeted aspiring emigrants.
At least seven men were duped of lakhs of rupees after being promised marriage and a pathway to settle in Canada, only to be left with neither.
Sukhdarshan Kaur, who has been arrested along with two others, allegedly used photographs and video calls featuring her 24-year-old daughter Harpreet to convince prospective grooms of the marriage’s legitimacy.
“Seven victims have been identified and have come forward with their statements,” PTI quoted Doraha SHO inspector Akash Dutt as saying.
Police said Sukhdarshan would track matrimonial advertisements and approach the families of unmarried men eager to settle abroad. She would claim that her daughter was living in Surrey, Canada, on a work permit after completing her studies there.
To build trust, she would arrange video calls between Harpreet and the prospective grooms and even organise fake engagement ceremonies, sometimes in person with sweets and rituals, and at other times virtually.
In some cases, framed photographs of Harpreet were used in place of her physical presence.
{{/usCountry}}In some cases, framed photographs of Harpreet were used in place of her physical presence.
{{/usCountry}}The accused would allegedly demand ₹20 lakh from each family, citing debts incurred in sending her daughter abroad. The amount would eventually be negotiated to ₹15 to 18 lakh and collected through bank transfers, which police believe was a tactic to gain the victims’ confidence.
Some sold land, livestock to move to Canada
Driven by their desperation to move to Canada, many of the victims did not verify the details about Harpreet. Some sold land, livestock, or took loans to pay Sukhdarshan, believing the marriage would soon take place.
However, police said that after the engagements, Sukhdarshan would delay the weddings indefinitely, citing excuses, or eventually stop responding altogether.
The racket came to light when another such engagement was scheduled at a hotel in Doraha on July 10. The groom-to-be, a man from Khanna, was unaware that, like previous victims, he too was being duped. Harpreet was not present, and only a framed photo was to be displayed during the ceremony.
Acting on a tip-off from a man in Bathinda, another alleged victim who had received a WhatsApp voice note by mistake detailing the fraudulent plan, police raided the hotel and uncovered the scheme.
A case has been registered under BNS sections 316(2) (criminal breach of trust), 318(4) (cheating), and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) at the Doraha police station. Besides Sukhdarshan, two more accused have been arrested, and further investigation is underway.
With PTI inputs