Two held for marriage fraud

LHC denies bail to men accused of robbing bride’s family

LAHORE:

Police have arrested two men on charges of robbing a bride’s family of valuables after marrying her fraudulently.

The arrests were made after the Lahore High Court dismissed their bail applications. Justice Mushtaq Ahmad dismissed the bail applications of the main accused Amir alias Adda Hassan and Sanaullah, but granted pre-arrest bail to their alleged accomplice Musarat Bibi.

As the judge denied bail to the two accused, they tried to escape from the court premises but the investigation officer of the case called the police officials present in other courtrooms who caught them.

“We have not looted any house,” Musarat Bibi told the court. However, the investigation officer stated that the accused had fled from their rented house along with the dowry articles and jewelry.

The counsel for the accused challenged the police to preset any other FIR registered against his clients. He contended that his clients were innocent and had been implicated in the case for humiliation and blackmailing.

The complainant’s counsel Advocate Malik Azhar Iqbal Bhachar told the court that accused had a gang in Sargodha and they used to impersonate government officers.

He alleged that the accused used to quarrel with the brides over petty issues within a month after marriage and the gang had been active in other districts also.

The gang had looted several families in Sargodha, he alleged. The FIR was lodged by Mohsin Bilal, brother of a bride, against Amir alias Adda Hassan, Shehbaz, Sanaullah, Amanullah, Musarat Bibi and seven unknown people under sections 471, 468, 419 and 420 of PPC in Kotmomin police station.

The complainant told the court that six months back the accused Musarat Bibi and other women visited his house for marriage of his sister with her son who was introduced as an officer in armed forces. After three months, the nikah was solemnised. He said dowry articles worth Rs600,000 and jewelry valuing Rs360,000 was given. About 15 days later, the accused left the woman at his house.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 20^th, 2020.