Silvester D’ Souza

Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (EP)

Kundapur, Dec 15: A network of commission agents who use marriage as an extortion racket by trapping innocent grooms into marrying girls and later threaten them with dowry harassment case is active in Kundapur taluk. Even though one of the affected boy’s parents complained to district SP, it is said that the police have failed to crack the case.

As per the details available, the agents contact men who are struggling to find a suitable match, and show them a picture of a girl saying that she is an orphan and looked after by foster parents. When the man agrees for the proposal, the broker persuades the groom’s family to give gold ornaments to the girl as she is poor. They also take a commission ranging between Rs eighty thousand to Rs ninety thousand from the groom for fixing the match.

The marriage is performed at a temple in the presence of the duplicate foster parents of the girl. However, once the girl goes to the groom’s home, she does not agree to consummate the marriage. She fights with the groom’s family on some pretexts, and threatens that she will file a case of dowry harassment and decamps with the ornaments gifted to her.

The agents and the girl share the money and jewellery, while looking out for their next new victim.

In Kundapur, a Brahmin boy was cheated by four brokers and the girl. It is said that the girl’s real parents are not even aware of the racket.

Social activist Radhadas has accompanied the victims to DSP to complain. “Police need to nab those behind the network. Such networks should be defeated and justice needs to be done to the victims,” says Radhadas.