In a disturbing turn of events from rural Punjab, the Ludhiana police have unearthed a two-year‑long marriage scam that conned seven bachelors of ₹1.6 crore. The accused are 24‑year‑old Harpreet Kaur, based in Surrey, Canada on a work permit, and her mother, Sukhdarshan Kaur, along with her brother Manpreet Singh and accomplice Ashok Kumar.
The fraud was first reported by Divya Goyal of The Indian Express, who uncovered how Sukhdarshan responded to matrimonial ads and contacted families of men eager to emigrate to Canada. She introduced Harpreet as a prospective bride living in Surrey. Trust was built through video calls or “proxy engagements” using a framed photograph of Harpreet, as revealed in the investigation.
Visa status became a tool of deception. Harpreet shared images of her Canadian work permit, persuading families she was a genuine NRI bride. Once the engagement was set—either virtually or in person—Sukhdarshan would claim debts incurred to send her daughter abroad, demanding between ₹15 lakh and ₹20 lakh per family.
Victims came from Khanna, Bathinda, Moga, Raikot and Barnala, and many resorted to selling land, buffaloes or taking loans to meet the demands. One Bathinda victim who alerted police confessed to transferring ₹18.5 lakh before discovering the scam through a mistakenly shared WhatsApp voice note.
The final blow came on July 10 when police raided a scheduled proxy engagement at a Doraha hotel near Khanna. Sukhdarshan, Manpreet and their associate were arrested; Harpreet remains in Canada and a police lookout circular is in place to prevent her return.
Authorities have registered cases under Sections 420, 406, 120-B of the IPC and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Investigations are ongoing, with police warning that more victims could emerge and urging families to verify backgrounds before committing to NRI marriages.
Officials emphasise that this case highlights a growing trend of rural frauds linked to overseas aspirations. Doraha SHO Akash Dutt and ASI Harjeet Singh advise families to demand in-person verification or hard proof and resist sending money based solely on video calls or photographs.
