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Journalism of Courage
In Gujarat, red corner notices seeking extradition or deportation no longer chase only the usual suspects, hardened criminals on the run. The new targets are fly-by-night NRI Gujarati grooms.
The state CID (crime) has begun issuing these notices to secure extradition of NRI Gujarati grooms given to fly-by-night nuptial adventures and fraudulent marriages. Quite a large number of fake NRI marriages are being reported throughout the state with brides, including highly qualified ones, ending up being duped by their NRI husbands. The women’s cell of CID (crime) has already issued red corner notices in as many as six cases seeking to bring back these men to stand trial.
One of the accused, Vishal Sureshchandra Raval, a US-based NRI who hailed from Mehsana district, surrendered before a court here recently, and is facing charges of mental and physical torture of his Gujarati wife. Interpol is looking for the remaining five accused. According to CID(crime) officials, Interpol has been provided details about these men and their residential addresses in their adopted countries, though they appear to be giving the slip to Interpol, often
switching locations using their connections overseas. “But we hope to nab them sooner or later,” says Deputy Inspector General of Police, CID crime (women’s cell), Meera Ramniwas.
According to Ramniwas, many NRI ‘grooms’ have families in their adopted countries and they entice young girls here with the prospect of marriage and living abroad. Many actually enter into vacation marriages, stay for a month or two and then go back promising to arrange a visa for the ‘spouse’. In many cases, that is the last these girls hear from them. In other cases, the NRI grooms obtain a divorce according to local laws and send those papers to their ‘wives’ here.
According to the DIG, these cases are on the rise. She has advised a list of precautions for parents looking for NRI grooms to avoid the pitfalls. These include measures like verifying the antecedents of the groom, compulsorily registering marriages in India, not depending on middlemen or marriage bureaus, avoiding signing suspicious documents, and always keeping documents like passports, educational certificates with yourself.
