In a shocking case from Punjab’s Ludhiana district, a mother-daughter team allegedly tricked several men out of lakhs of rupees by pretending to arrange fake marriages to help them settle in Canada.
According to the police, Sukhdarshan Kaur used photos and videos of her 24-year-old daughter, Harpreet, who is currently living in Canada on a work permit, to lure young men who were eager to move abroad. So far, seven men have come forward to say they were cheated.
Sukhdarshan would respond to matrimonial ads, claiming her daughter lived in Surrey, Canada. She would arrange video calls between Harpreet and the potential grooms, and even hold fake engagement ceremonies—sometimes just using Harpreet’s photo or video calls. She told families that she had spent a lot of money sending her daughter abroad and asked for ₹15 to ₹20 lakh as compensation.
Many victims, blinded by their dream of settling in Canada, paid the money without verifying any details. Some sold land, livestock, or took loans to arrange the amount. Later, Sukhdarshan would delay the wedding or stop responding altogether.
The scam came to light when police raided a hotel in Doraha on July 10 during yet another fake engagement. A man from Bathinda had tipped off the police after receiving a voice note from Sukhdarshan by mistake, in which she discussed the fraud.
Police have arrested Sukhdarshan and two others. A case has been filed under multiple charges at Doraha police station, and investigations are still ongoing.
