Swindled out: Woman flees after depriving three husbands of cash

She was caught after her 4th husband-to-be turned out to be a relative of the first.

MULTAN:

Jahanian police are looking for a 25-year-old woman, who married three men in three months only to leave them, allegedly decamping with their cash and valuables.

She was set to marry the fourth time when the groom turned out to be a distant relative of the first, who later contacted the rest of the two husbands and informed the police. A complaint was filed by the four men on Monday.

Police said the woman, introduced as Tahira by a marriage bureau in Hansabaad Colony, had married Muhammad Obaid, a landlord in Jahanian, a few months ago.

Iqbal Bhatti, the owner of the marriage bureau in Khanewal, had first introduced Tahira to Obaid, who had visited the bureau looking for a prospective bride.

Obaid was told that Tahira was an orphan and had been brought up by her uncle.

After a few meetings, Obaid had later told the police, he had decided to marry Tahira.

He said he had met Tahira’s uncle and he accepted his proposal. However, he said, Bhatti told him that her uncle wanted to be paid Rs50,000 before the marriage.

He said he paid the amount and later gave Rs60,000 to Tahira for shopping.

He said the marriage was organised in Multan. He said he paid for more than half of the expenses. The day after the wedding, he said, she went over to her uncle’s house as is a tradition. Two days later, when he and his family went to bring her back, the house had been vacated.

He said he asked neighbours and was told that no one knew the family as they had rented the house two weeks ago and had left the previous night.

Police said she used a similar strategy with Muhammad Shabbir, a resident of Ahmed Nagar Colony in Khanewal and with Muhammad Abdullah, from Shujaabad.

However, her fraud was caught by the fourth groom Muhammad Qaisar, a resident of Chak 80/10- R, shortly before the wedding. Qaiser, a distant relative of Obaid, reported her to him.

On sharing the incidents, Qaiser told Obaid that he, too, had paid Rs50,000 to her uncle and more than Rs60,0000 for wedding shopping.

Police said Obaid was called and Tahira was forced to return with him. She was told to return all the money.

However, on Sunday night, she drugged Obaid in the food and fled.

Obaid said he had contacted Bhatti, the marriage bureau owner, who gave him contacts of the rest of the two husbands. Police say they went to look for Bhatti, but he was missing. Obaid said the bridegrooms were also looking for her.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 23^rd, 2013.