Sambalpur: Marriage Promise Scam in Sambalpur; Over Rs. 1.40 Lakh Cheated from Madhya Pradesh Youth, Two Accused Arrested

Sambalpur: What seemed like a brother-sister bond during the day turned into a fake husband-wife relationship at night. However, their actual business was conning people in the name of marriage.

Fake Marriage Proposal, Real Money Scam

In Sambalpur’s Khetrajpur area, a shocking case surfaced where a young man and woman took money from a man by pretending to arrange a marriage and then disappeared. Police have arrested the two accused — Mahendra Deep alias Sanjay (30) from Ulunda, Sonepur district, and Rajlakshmi Mishra alias Rashmi (27) from Goshala area, Burla.

Lived as a Couple, Posed as Siblings

According to the police, Sanjay and Rashmi had been living together in a rented house at Mahanadi Vihar, Ainthapali, Sambalpur. They told neighbors they were brother and sister, but they were actually living together as a couple.

New Victim from Madhya Pradesh

Recently, they came in contact with Ranjit Sahu (28) from Lakhanwara, Madhya Pradesh. Rashmi introduced herself as Rashmi Panda, the bride, and Sanjay claimed to be her brother, Sanjay Panda.

After gaining trust, they called Ranjit and his family for a formal pre-wedding meeting. They demanded Rs. 1.4 lakh for marriage expenses, including gifts and food. Once they received the money, the two fled.

Police Investigation and Arrest

Ranjit later realized he had been cheated and filed a complaint at Khetrajpur police station. Police conducted an investigation and arrested the duo. They recovered Rs. 1.21 lakh in cash, two mobile phones, and a scooter (OD15U4833) from them.

Not Their First Scam

Interestingly, this was not the couple’s first fraud. According to SDPO Tofan Bagh, they admitted to cheating three more people in similar ways by promising marriage and then vanishing with money. However, no prior cases had been filed against them.

Preying on Poor and Middle-Class Families

Currently, many people from Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh come to western Odisha searching for brides. Some marriages genuinely succeed, but others end in domestic abuse or fraud, as in this case.

How Ranjit Got Cheated

Ranjit, looking for a bride, met the duo, who claimed to be poor and needed financial help for the wedding. Trusting them, he gave them money. However, after returning home, he could no longer contact them their phone numbers were unreachable. That’s when he realized he had been scammed and reported it to the police.