Saharsa: A suspected inter-district gang accused of orchestrating fraudulent marriages to extort money from unsuspecting grooms has been busted in Bihar’s Saharsa district. Police arrested five members of the group—including three women—during a late-night raid on Friday in Viratpur village, under the jurisdiction of Sonvarsha Raj police station.
According to SHO Avinash Kumar, the arrests were made after police stopped a suspicious Scorpio vehicle (registration DL 9 CV 9990) during routine patrolling. Ten individuals were travelling in the car; two men fled the scene, while the remaining passengers, including three women, were taken into custody.
Initial questioning led to a startling discovery: the group was allegedly part of a wider gang operating across multiple districts, preying on men by arranging fake marriages and extorting large sums of money.
Police identified one recent victim as Rambalk Mahato, a resident of Kodha in Katihar district. The gang allegedly lured him into marrying Pooja Devi—already married to Dharmendra Mandal from Akaha village, Alamnagar—under the pretence that she was single. Following the ceremony, Pooja reportedly demanded Rs 15,000 in cash and another Rs 20,000 via PhonePe, before the gang attempted to extort an additional Rs 30,000. When Rambalk was unable to pay, gang members allegedly planned to abduct and rob him. The scheme was thwarted due to timely police intervention.
Among those arrested were Pooja Devi herself, Sudama Devi (wife of Dharmendra Mandal), and Chandni Devi (wife of Lalan Sahni), all of whom are suspected of previously duping multiple men through similar scams. The male suspects apprehended have been named as Sonu Kumar and Pramod Mandal. Police said Ajay Kumar and another unidentified accomplice managed to escape.
Investigators revealed that several fraud cases had already been registered against the accused in Alamnagar and other police jurisdictions. Authorities are also examining links to similar marriage rackets in other districts.
SHO Kumar confirmed that Sudama Devi had previously been jailed under the Arms Act. All five detainees have been remanded in judicial custody, and a search is underway to apprehend the remaining fugitives. Further investigation is ongoing, with district-level police coordination being ramped up.
