Runaway Bride Indian Version: 'Looteri Dulhan Gang' Preys on Desperate Men Seeking Marriage

Discovering 10 days after his marriage that both his cash and gold, along with his wife, were missing, 31-year-old Ajaysinh Solanki raised the alarm. On March 8, he filed a complaint, and as the investigation unfolded, police stumbled upon the 'looteri gang,' a group that deceives and exploits men desperately seeking marriage.

Credit: TOI

From matchmaking to mayhem

After years of searching for a bride, Solanki sought his friend's assistance in finding a suitable match. The friend, in turn, reached out to someone known, Vaja, to help with the matchmaking.

Unfortunately, this turned out to be a misstep, as Narsinh Vaja was associated with the 'Looteri dulhan' gang.

Vaja presented photos of two potential suitors, and Solanki took a liking to one named Rinkle Pandya. However, unknown to Solanki, 'Rinkle Pandya' was actually Kausar Bano, who had assumed a false identity and altered documents accordingly.

Solanki and 'Rinkle Pandya' entered into matrimony and officially registered their marriage in the Bantva gram panchayat in Amreli district, based on the notarized forged documents provided by the woman.

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For the services of finding the suitor and organising the marriage, Solanki paid a sum well exceeding Rs 1 lakh.

An elaborate scam

But 10 days later, when his bride went missing along with various valuables, Solanki filed a report on March 8.

The Gir-Somnath's Local Crime Branch (LCB) began their investigation thereafter, as reported by TOI and were able to trace the accused after information on their whereabouts.

Apart from Vaja and Kausar Bano, the implicated members were identified as Muskan Mirza, Shamin alias Seema Joshi, Nagdev Hiralal, and Muskan's husband, Riyaz, believed to be the mastermind of the gang.

Vaja, Muskan, Hiralal, and Shamim served as agents, actively seeking grooms in search of marriage.

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"Riyaz would forge the Aadhar cards, and school leaving certificates of gang members and change their names as well as religion," mentioned Arvindsinh Jadeja, in-charge police inspector, LCB, as reported by TOI.

He further explained, "Their modus operandi was to identify young men who were desperately looking for brides, charge commission money and marriage arrangement charges from them. The woman used to stay with the groom for a few days and then flee his house."

All the accused have been apprehended, facing charges under IPC sections related to cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy, among others. However, Riyaz remains at large.

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