Marriage-seeking farmers falling prey to scam rings

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

In almost every village across Marathwada, dozens of unmarried farmers are struggling to find brides. Exploiting this desperation, fraudulent marriage agents are duping them out of lakhs of rupees, turning the sacred institution into a business of deceit.

Due to social and family pressure, many farmers end up marrying women introduced by middlemen. But within weeks or months, these brides vanish along with the agents. Farmers, already battling economic hardship, are left cheated emotionally and financially, with no legal proof to even file a police complaint.

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A growing scam network

Agents, mainly operating from Dhule, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and bordering states like Bihar, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh, promise brides for amounts ranging from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 10 lakh. With fake documents and hurried ceremonies, the "marriage" is completed, only for the bride and agent to disappear soon after.

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Case 1: Bablu’s 7-Lakh-Rupee Loss

Unable to find a bride due to his farming background, 30-year-old Bablu (name changed) paid Rs 2 lakh to a Dhule-based contact. Later, two others promised him a bride from an ashram in Sambhajinagar and took Rs 3 lakh more then vanished. He eventually married a local girl after paying another Rs 2 lakh, but she disappeared within eight months.

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Case 2: Vanishing bride in the forest

Anil (28) married a girl from the Pawari community through an agent for Rs 2.5 lakh. The ceremony took place at a temple in a remote forest. Soon after, the bride insisted on visiting her family. On the way, she tricked Anil and fled. Her family never returned to their village.

Activist’s appeal: Marry farmers, end prejudice

“Due to poor crop prices and financial insecurity, farmers are denied respect in the marriage market,” said chief coordinator Vijay Kakade of Bharat Kranti Mission. “If community leaders begin giving their daughters to farmers, it could help break this stigma. But farmers must also verify backgrounds before proceeding.”