Govandi Matchmaker Steals 21.6 Tolas of Gold Jewelry Under Pretext of Arranged Marriage

In the locality of Govandi, an incident has unfolded involving the theft of 21.6 tolas of gold jewelry, purportedly in the guise of organizing a wedding for the complainant's son. The police have lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against a woman identified as Varsha Pardhe, invoking pertinent sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and have initiated their inquiry into the matter.

According to the police, the woman introduced herself as a marriage broker when she visited the complainant's house. The complainant’s son was having trouble finding a match. Taking advantage of this, Varsha, who was known to the complainant’s sister and claimed to arrange marriages, requested to see the gold jewelry intended for the wedding. Pretending to wrap the jewelry in a cloth, she asked for the bundle to be kept in a box and warned that opening the box would prevent the son's marriage. Out of fear, the complainant did not open the box.

Hemlata, a 62-year-old, living in Govandi, asked Pardhe, who worked as a matchmaker, to find a bride for her son. Pardhe visited Hemlata’s house several times to show potential brides. In August 2022, Pardhe demanded Hemlata give her gold jewelry in exchange for arranging the marriage. Hemlata showed her own jewelry, including bangles, a mangalsutra, and rings, along with jewelry gifted by her daughter.

Varsha Pardhe took the jewelry and pretended to wrap it in a cloth, placing it in a steel box in the house and locking it. She gave Hemlata the key and instructed her not to open the box until told. Trusting Pardhe, Hemlata didn’t touch the box. Hemlata also took jewelry from her sister, claiming it might be sold due to household disputes, and Pardhe pretended to wrap this jewelry too, placing it near the water tank. Neither Hemlata nor her sister touched the wrapped bundle.

Varsha Pardhe stopped visiting or calling the two sisters. On April 16, during a festival, Hemlata asked Pardhe to retrieve the gold from the box, but Pardhe refused, warning that the son's marriage would be jeopardized if the box was opened. Hemlata’s sister also feared opening her bundle due to unresolved household disputes. On May 18, when Hemlata's daughter came to collect the jewelry, Pardhe again discouraged opening the box, which aroused Hemlata’s suspicion. Upon opening the box, Hemlata found betel nuts instead of gold jewelry.

Shocked by the missing jewelry, Hemlata informed her sister, who also found betel nuts in place of her jewelry. Realizing Pardhe had stolen the jewelry under the pretense of wrapping it, the sisters went to the Govandi police station and lodged a complaint against Pardhe for defrauding them of 21.6 tolas of gold jewelry.