GREATER NOIDA: In a plot straight out of the Hollywood flick, Birthday Girl, police in Greater Noida have busted a gang of robbers who had hit upon a near-perfect modus operandi for robbing rich and eligible bachelors. Just like in the 2002 Nicole Kidman starrer, a member of the gang would marry the victim and then vanish with the wedding jewellery and other expensive items.
The gang’s activities had sent the district police scurrying into every wedding taking place in the greater NCR for the past three months. This followed reports of at least five marriages in which the groom had been cleaned up by the gang days after the wedding vows were solemnized.
Finally on Monday, police in Badalpur area of Greater Noida claimed to have laid their hands on the gang with the arrest of a woman from Meerut. Police claim that the women, Rajendri, is the sister of the main accused – Vimla, who would play the bride. Four other gang members, including Vimla and two pimps, are still on the run.
Sources in the SP (rural Noida) office said that the gang was first reported to them by Satendra Singh, 42, a resident of Kachaura village near Dadri in Greater Noida. “Singh, a bachelor, told us that he was approached by a `marriage agent’, Prem, who told him about a good match in Jawahar Nagar area of Meerut. The prospective groom, with took two of his friends, met the girl and her `family’. Satisfied, Singh agreed to the match,” said a senior investigating officer.
It was then that Prem and his accomplice, Vinod Jatav, who posed as Vimla’s brother, said they needed money to solemnize the marriage. Singh agreed and even paid Prem Rs 50,000 as agent fee, police said.
“The marriage took place on July 6 this year at Greater Noida. Three days later, his `wife’ Vimla allegedly fled with the entire jewellery and costly clothes arranged by Singh. A day later, a distraught Singh lodged cases against Prem, Vinod Jatav, Anand Jatav and one Rajendri who represented the girl’s side,” said the officer.
Police investigations led to interesting revelations. “We found that Anand was Vimla’s real husband. All of the accused were residents of TT Nagar in Meerut. They targeted wealthy bachelors and married off Vimla to them. The `bride’ masterminded the entire operation. The gang rented houses at different locations in west UP so as not to arouse suspicion. For instance, they used a Dadri address to impress a bachelor in Delhi and a Meerut address for a person in Greater Noida,” the police source said.
